Color BLind
by Orielle
Summary: The life of a female killjoy, who, like many others, just wanted to make it through the day without a bullet to her jugular. Possible romance in future? Meh. IDK. Just READ, goddamnit. :D
1. Prologue

-Authors note-

HOOOOLY FUCKING SHIT, GUYS!

Pardon my language, but, yeah. I'm not too fond of this chapter, but meh. Ifind it too solemn, quiet, depressing. But the next chap, you will see how much I love to bounce off the walls with my writing. ;)

PUH LEASE keep reading. Next will have plot. Pinky promise?

How many days had I sat there, saying nothing, doing nothing, and thinking nothing but a simple _why me?_

The fires.

They started small, built up, roaring through the lively Battery City like an inferno.

Who were among the first to go?

The people who tried to stop the fires. The ones who came outside expecting the best after the explosion.

The explosion.

Thinking back to that very day, I feel my eyes well up. No amount of time will heal the scars those sights had given me.

When the fires struck, Dad left. It was his duty, wasn't it? As a firefighter, he had to risk his life to save others. He left, and Mom screamed. She begged, pleaded, threatened- Anything to get him to stay.

But he was out the door.

And so was she.

I know he had gone to the fires, confident that he would once again be named Hero.

I know she was in hysterics, screaming and running to who the hell cared.

And maybe around, say, 5 minutes after the whines and screams from my harebrained mother faded out of my ears, the wave hit.

Oh, how I wished myself dead.

How can I explain what happened? It hurt. Worse than anything. I felt like the air around me was pulsing, and as I looked around, my tear stained vision seemed to fade.

But it looked as if the reds, blues and yellows of my living room were dripping. The brightly colored hues slowly melting off of the furniture, walls, and everything in between, leaving a gray mess.

That's really all I can explain of the first wave.

Once it was over, I sat there screaming. SCREAMING louder than I'd ever before. I could hear cries for help, injured men and women scattering the streets. That only made me even more afraid.

Eventually, I picked myself off of the ground, and ran. Out of my house and into the backyard.

There, a little wooden surface showed through the grass. I immediately yanked the handle, revealing canned food, a hammock and small, stained mattress, and many other good survival needs. My haven.

I climbed partially down the ladder, and looked up at the sky.

I loved the sky. It soothed me. But today, it was a bloody red, speckled with black. In the middle, there was a large mushroom cloud. Growing bigger by the second.

I shut the wooden door, and retreated into darkness.

My name is- Or was, I should say, Ivory. I lived in a beautiful three story house with my mother and father, and our cat, Tony.

I still wonder what had ever happened to Tony.

I went to a nearby high school- I was only 15, and my friends and I were closer than blood relatives.

I know they're dead. They were out having a night on the town- without me, I should add. I was always, well, the 5th wheel. If that makes any sense.

One day, years and years ago, my dad and I were playing football in the lawn when we heard a creaking noise.

He cautiously lifted his foot, and there we heard it again.

After hours upon hours of investigating, we had realized it was a bomb shelter.

Cool, huh?

And so there I was, 8 years later, curled up in a hammock, my eyes shut, but sleep not relieving me from the pain.

I had tried singing.

But my voice had faded, along with my hope.

I'd tried eating.

But all the food seemed to repulse me. Not, of course, that I didn't like canned pears, or peaches, but, for some reason, food just… Seemed un natural.

Hard to explain.

I don't know HOW long I sat there for, could have been hours, days, weeks… The clock's battery was long dead, and the only way I could tell was by how tired I was.

Not helpful. At all.

So I was stuck there for a long time, my guess about a week. I didn't want to risk stepping out into the day light and finding out I was the only one left on the planet!

Or even just looking outside and seeing all the corpses- their faces twisted with fright and grief, wishing they had a bomb shelter as fly as mine.

But actually, I just didn't want to face the turmoil that had happened days before. I wanted to pretend it had never happened.

I knew one day I had to face the music. And so every time my tears dried once more, I would push myself. Tell myself to go for it.

But I never did.

One night- Um, or day, I had no idea-.I was suddenly whisked into darkness. Utter darkness.

My guess was the motherfucking light bulb had bitched out.

So I cuss, and I cry, and I cuss some more. But then, a light bulb of my own popped up.

I clawed my way through the shelves, and finally made it to the ladder.

I was brave. And I was gonna do it.

It took a minute or so to undo the latch, due to my shaking hands. And another minute to push it open.

But when I did, and peered out, I knew exactly what it was that I saw.

A new era.


	2. Chapter 1

The boom had happened seven years ago. It was 2019, and I was 22 going on who the hell cared.

Age didn't really matter anymore. I don't know why. It's more of a name thing that's more important.

Me, I called myself Sparx Fire. I got it seven years ago, when I had first crawled out of the bomb shelter in my backyard, and went inside what was left of my house.

I remember looking through the damage for any bodies, but it was empty. I remember expecting to look up the spiralled staircase and see my mother in her robe, sipping a cup of herbal tea. I remember looking at the smashed, ashy tiles in what used to be the kitchen, and breathing in deeply, waiting for some kind of scent of Dad's weekend brunch to waft into my nostrils.

But most of all, I remember curling up into a pathetic ball by the one single untouched, unbroken window, and staring at the flames that began to engulf the city.

I knew I was alone. I was sure of it.

And weeks later, when I met some other survivors, they helped me pick out a name. They left, of course, to go do better things.

They talked about some kind of pirate- or was it a doctor? Who was planning on broadcasting some kind of radio signal. Telling all of the survivors everything he knew- or at least, everything we needed to know. (Which was, in fact, everything.)

So for 7 years, I drifted. Traveled from group to group, zone to zone. Like a nomad, never in one place for long. But unlike a nomad, I was properly armed with the white ray gun my father had kept under his bed, in a box marked "Paperwork", sealed shut by a lock, with the combo 46-11-40. I don't know why he hid it. All I knew was that I used to secretly play target practice when I was younger, when no one was home.

Oh yeah, so, that's me- Nomad with a gun. It's not like I was just paranoid that someone was going to jump me- oh no, that sort of crime would be a relief to the ones we have to deal with around here.

Brainwashed humans, or even robots. No one knew what they were, but we knew to watch out for them. Draculoids. I learned this the hard way, of course, earning my self a deserved scar across my left cheek.

With the scars and all the radiation going on, I looked like an entirely different person. My once wavy auburn hair had turned an electric blue, and my warm brown eyes had gotten warmer- or, well, a whole lot hotter, shifting from chocolate to a deep crimson.

As for my clothing? Well, people pretty much wore the brightest shit they could find, and basically, the one who got the most colors, patters and crazy hair, was, well… cool.

Oh yes.

So, here I am, 22 year old Sparx Fire, walking through all of the zones until I can reach my destination.

I've been looking for him for a long, long time. Years, even. I have questions for him, about this new, destructed world. And since I really had no where else to go, y'know, thought maybe I could help with out.

With anything.

Man, I was desperate for a shower and decent food.

So I kept walking, towards the cruel, harsh sun, in my search for Doctor Death Defying. But luckily, I had something that helped pass the time.

I sat down on a rock for a quick break, sipping a bitter liquid from my orange canteen. (Hey, the water was gross nowadays, but when it's all you got, it's a treat worth savouring. So savour I did.)

I swished it around in my mouth, as finally my hand came into contact with the one object I wanted.

My pocket radio had got to be the best thing I've owned since the boom. It makes it easier to pass time, and I know I'm getting closer, because the signal is very strong, instead of the crackling I had heard long ago.

"_Hello, crashqueens and motorbabies! How you doing out there in the scorchin' hot today? But hey hey, watch out for that acid rain. But for now, just chill out, listen to some tunes, and rock on!" _

Some music from pre-boom came on. I recognized it, but words failed me. I had long ago forgotten lyrics to all of my favourite songs. Hell, I forgot more and more each day.

So I hung the radio from a key ring hung from my belt, turned up the volume, and danced as I walked.

I would've looked stupid- high, even, to any passerby. But luckily, it was pretty much deserted.

I didn't even hear the loud engine coming up behind me.

But I did notice when a shocking beam of radiation came and killed my radio. Oh, but I didn't take a second to cry out or mourn the loss of my radio. No. I fought. I whipped around, ray gun in hand, shooting at anything that moved.

And in this case, it was Dracs. Three of them.

They were driving an old black mustang, with white BL/i decals pasted onto the sides and hood.

One goon was sticking out each side, shooting at my figure, I, with my gun in hand, raced towards the speeding vehicle.

First, I blew a headshot to the one on the left, and blew the right tire with another beam. As the driver panicked a bit and slowed down due to a lack of tire, I shot down another tire, and seconds later, the second sniper. Not too bad for a girl.

The drac slowed down the vehicle even slower, and I jumped onto the hood, breaking the window with a rock I snagged from the side of the road moments before.

But the minion was unfortunately smarter than that, and he aimed at me, grazing my shoulder, and making me cry out, I wobbled, almost losing my balance and falling to a serious injury. So I kept strong, holding my arm painfully. And oh, how it hurt. I could feel the blood seeping out as he hit me once more above my elbow.

And at this point, I'm in tears, trying to aim my gun as I'm ducking the rays. But then, all of a sudden…

He just drops down dead.

Bald, masked head on the dashboard, car slows down to a quick stop, and as I take a peek, I notice a bullet wound in the back of his head.

And I know that wasn't me who did that.

I quickly and silently get off of the car, holding my ray gun ahead of me. I'm trying to seem intimidating, but my arm is shaking too much, and I couldn't keep steady. I wouldn't be able to shoot a fucking elephant from two feet away.

I hear voices, as I lean against the side of the car, out of sight to whomever was over there.

"I could have sworn there was someone on the hood of the car, Poison. I'm serious." I hear a man's voice say.

"Well, fine then, but I'll check it out, you could have killed them with that shot!" Another voice grumbles.

The second one skulks over in my direction, while the first mumbled something along the lines of, "Well, you almost killed me with that driving of yours…".

I mentally giggled, but put my poker face back on, sliding up my crimson bandana over my nose and mouth, trying my best to keep my arm steady as I heard the slow, but confident foot steps draw closer. I held my breath, ready to shoot.

But then it was silent.

_K-chck._

Not so much anymore. I tried to swivel my head around, but felt something resting against the back of it, and the second voice, the huskier one, said something boldy and clearly;

"Hold up, drop the gun…"

Obviously, I am not in the mood to have my brains splattered all over the concrete today, so I drop my weapon to the ground and slowly raise my hands up to around ear level.

He hesitates for a second, lifting his gun for a split second, which is all I need. Maybe he was expecting defiance.

Defiant I was, I quickly grabbed my gun and got hold of his, twisting it so it had broken loose of his large hands. I rolled backwards through his legs, grabbing his arm and twisting it into a hold before he could say, "Fuck.".

Which of course he did.

But anyways, I stood there, feeling pretty bad ass, if I do say so myself.

"Why was there a gun against my head?" I whispered fiercely into his ear, partially covered by an obnoxious red 'do.

He is silent, then he mutters. "Honest mistake, thought you were a goon."

I don't hesitate like he did.

"Oh, so you're saying I don't look the part of a killjoy?"

"Well, lady, you're acting the part now. So, no?"

I sigh. "Are you here to harm me in any way?"

He shakes his head.

"Poison!"

I hear a few feet away from me. I freeze.

"What's taking so long? Need help or something?"

'Poison' sighs. "Can you let me go?"

I think about it for a second, then finally release the arm I had been holding prisoner for a minute or two. He rubs it gratefully, looking back at me.

"You don't seem like such a bad girl." He admitted, looking me over.

I blow a piece of hair out of my eyes, crossing my eyes in the process. Attractive. "If you're trying to pick me up, forget it." I laugh.

Then, the face of a man around my age popped out from beside the car.

"Woah. There's, um, a chick. PartyPoison? Keeping her all to yourself?" He jokes, winking at me. I like him already. He quickly remembers he doesn't know me and pushes down is monster mask.

PartyPoison looks at me, as the other two men walked over towards us. "What are you doing here, anyway?" He asks curiously.

I pause. "Morning jog. Good for the glutes."

MonsterMan laughs. "You don't seem like the kind. Besides, girlie, it's the middle of the afternoon!"

I open my mouth, but really have nothing to say to that. So I stick out my tongue.

I turn to the red head. He was still checking me out. I didn't mind the attention.

"I'm looking for this guy, named Doctor Death Defying?" I say. It sounds more like a question than an answer though. So I shrug with it. "I don't know. I've been walking blindly."

One of the men, on with a space helmet, blinks in surprise. "DDD's a good friend of ours. We could, well, give you a ride. Or something." He grins cheekily.

I roll my eyes.

"That would be the best news I've heard in seven years." I gush, smiling from ear to ear.

PartyPoison looks distressed.

I blink. "Is that all right with you?"

He looks at me from the corner of my eye. He hesitates, but then blurts out an "okay".

But he points at my arm and grins.

"Please try to not bleed all over my seats, though".

And then I remember the pain of my left arm, and bite my lip until it turns white.

"I'll… Try." I nod.

And there we go, I see I'm off to a good start.

**AUTHORS NOTE TEIM.**

**Aggggh. **** I'm not happy with this one, either. I never really got her personality in. She sounded sarcastic, she's supposed to be bubbly! ARGH. Eff it. **** What do you guys think? R&RRRRR, motorbabies!**

**By the way. I may be in love with Fun ghoul and Party Poison. So, watch out. I warn you to watch out for her getting involved with either one of them...**

**GASPEZ! BUT WHICH ONE! Gaah, just review already. xD**


	3. Chapter 2

**AUTHORS NOTE:**

**I'm switching from past tense to current tense. It's a habit. xD**

**Oh, and I'm planning on scanning and uploading my drawings of her, you know, for visualization shizz.**

**ONE MORE THING. IF I OWNED THIS SHIT, the movie series would already out on DVD. **** So basically, I own nothing but Sparx Fire and these. Words. Right. Here…**

**:D**

**Oh. Shout out to chaosbulldog. Your review really inspired me to finish the chapter… I appreciate what you said. **

**And thanks everyone else! Input is what keeps me goin'. :D**

This is what I've learned so far.

You can lose a friend in a matter of blazing, apocalyptical days.

You can make some friends within the hour.

and when placed in a car with those new friends for a while, it can get mighty awkward.

So here I am, sitting in the back of a dusty Trans Am with 4 attractive, pro killjoys. I don't know at all, and they could say the damn same about me.

Although I have to say, I'm glad that the awkward silence had been penetrated by the groovy voice of Doctor D.

But I tune him out, and look around at my surroundings. To my left, a smaller, black haired guy who called himself "Fun Ghoul", decked out in leather and a Frankenstein mask. His eyes have a mischievous glint to them, and when he meets my gaze, he winks cheekily. I raise my eyebrows in response, and he lets out a low, sexy chuckle.

Beside me, on my right, a man who was dubbed "Kobra Kid", sat in silence. He could have been asleep, I wouldn't have known, since the visor reading 'GOOD LUCK' had been snapped shut. He, like the others, was a true killjoy. Brightly colored… but not as loud.

As for the front, two young men are there. The red head, with the serious, drawn face and wheel in hand, and another with a space helmet and eye patch. Red was known as PartyPoison, and the curly dude was JetStar.

Finally, after several minutes of shitty scream-o music from the 21st century, one of them speaks up.

"So, they call you… Sparx Fire?" Says red- er, PartyPoison. There was question in his voice, but I knew, really, he just wants to break the silence just as much as I do.

I speak up immediately, surprised that someone was speaking. And to me!

"Yeah, SparxFire. That's me." I smile nervously.

He glances at me through the mirror. "And what are you doing going to Doctor D, anyway?"

The rest of the boys murmur in agreement.

"Well…" I clear my throat. "Do you really want the embarrassing truth?" I ask, giving him a sheepish look through the rear view mirror.

He grins, and then nods silently.

I smile and tuck my vibrant blue hair behind my heavily studded ear.

"I don't got anywhere else to go, really. I was hoping I could, you know, help out in someway. Earn a place to stay." I look up, to see all of them except for Poison blinking at my statement. "Yeah, it's crazy, but really, that radio was… All I had…" I'm reminded of the broken pieces of metal at the bottom of my bag. Shame.

FunGhoul speaks up. "Nah, Doctor D is pretty chill. I don't think he'd mind. I mean, not to get your hopes up, but he could work something out." He says with a smile, looking me in the eye.

I smile back thankfully, and am about to say something cool back, but am interrupted by a very rude little boy.

"The doc won't take charity cases. The base isn't an orphanage!" Kobra Kid mutters gruffly. I can't see his eyes through the helmet, but I can only imagine the hatred in them. And I didn't even do anything!

I'm just sitting there, thinking, man, did he overdose on his PMS pills.

And I totally would have said something clever and witty if his brother and best friends weren't in the car as well. So I just turned a pretty shade of red and stayed quiet.

Fun Ghouldelivered a nasty glare Kobra's way, and speaks up for me. "Hey hey, Kobra Kid, bitch move!" He scowls. He looks me in the eye and shrugs. "Sorry. He's not usually like that."

I shake my head. "Don't worry about it…" I sigh, silently shooting daggers at the gloomy man beside me. He didn't have to be so rude, now did he?

It's quiet for a bit after that, and finally, my eyes start to droop.

My blinks become longer, and longer…

Until finally a big wave of exhaustion crashes over me, and I'm whisked into unconsciousness.

_The loud boom of ray guns echo through my ears, and slowly my eyes open, revealing many dracs, and the killjoy's, each armed with a colourful ray gun._

_I try to stand up, but my legs fail me._

_I try to fight, but my ray gun is gone._

_So I merely sit there, watching killjoy after killjoy fall in defeat._

_I try to scream, but my scream is merely a whisper._

_I try to cry, but the tears just don't come._

_And then, within seconds, I was the only live soul on the entire killjoy side._

_Two dracs, decked out in white, with blood splattering over the suits like evidence of the massacre that had happened mere minutes ago._

_They reach up, at the same time, and take off the vampire masks silently, revealing something worse than a hunk of metal and wires. Worse than the bloody remains of a victim's face._

_My mother and father stare back at me. But love and pride is no longer in their eyes, a blank stare- like a corpse, is in those beautiful brown and green eyes._

_They reach for me, and everything fades into red._

I wake with a jolt, my sleepy eyes wide as dinner plates.

I take a look at my surroundings. Ghoul's head was resting on my lap, and Kobra and Jet were both leaning against windows. We were still in the zones, I could tell. But everyone was asleep except for Party Poison.

I blink and rub the sleep out of my eyes. "Party…?" I yawn.

He glances at me through the rear view mirror. "Oh. You're awake." He smiles. "Nightmare?"

I nod, and shiver. The dream I had had was scaring me, even now. I could still see their faces, glowing in the blood red sun…

I shook it off. "How close are we?" I ask quietly, careful not to wake the others.

He is quiet for a second. He opens his mouth to say something, but then shuts it again. It's quiet for another minute and a half.

"Hmm. I would have to say around… 30 minutes? We're pretty close, actually. I'm surprised you woke up, though. You were _out_, man! Ghoul was poking you like crazy, and no matter how loud we got, you were still… Like, dead-like."

He pauses, then laughs a loudly.

"we actually checked for a pulse!" He cackles, as if it's the funniest thing in the world.

I sigh, running a hand through my greasy blue hair. "I'm a deadweight sleeper…" I grin. "It's not a very good thing, considering that I could be killed during a fucking rock concert while I'm still dreaming of gum drops."

Party's still smiling. "How do you wake up, then?" He asks me. His smile is gorgeous. In-between his chapped lips lie beautiful pearly whites. I swear I could have spent hours just looking at his beautiful smile…

But I snap up to answer his question. Embarrassed, I giggle an, "I don't!"

The awkwardness was gone, and for the next little while we talked and laughed like long lost friends.

It was a relief. I hadn't had human contact in a while, and this here was more than fabulous…

But eventually, in the dead of the night, we had pulled up to what looks like it had once been a diner. But the flashing neon sign's R and N were burnt out, leaving it to say, "DI E" instead. It was ironic, and so, so cool.

He killed the engine, and after a few moments of silence, muttered, "We're here."

I nodded.

"Help them wake me up, will you?" He asked, gently nudging Jet Star.

I followed orders and tapped Ghoul's head, which was still placed in my lap, I might add, gently.

"Fun ghoul?" I say quietly. "Fun Ghoul, wakey wakey, we're here."

His eyelids flutter to life, and he gives me an amnesiac look, as if to say, who are you?

But he quickly grins and clears his throat, sitting up. "Got it. Thanks."

I move on to Kobra Kid, shaking his shoulder a little bit.

"Kobra? We're he-"

Oh ho HO, but I'm not replying any time soon.

Because he quickly reaches for his ray gun and points it at my temple. "Motherfucke-"

We both sit there in a moment of silence, before he slowly draws the gun away. The others are outside of the car, staring in at this weird act.

"Sorry…" He mutters, climbing out and slamming the door behind him.

I get out quickly, shaking the thoughts of his delayed reaction to the trigger out of my head.

I follow the men through the front door, and step into a furnished, dusty room. Party quickly splits off into a dark room to the left of the entryway, leaving us four.

Fun Ghoul steps forward, his usual grin on his face. "Honey, I'm home!" He yells, and within 20 seconds or so, a little girl no older than 10 comes running out of a room, giggling, and jumps into his arms. She squeezes him, drops out, and performs the special hug on the rest of them.

He has a sort of poofy, light brown afro and large hazel eyes. She's dirty, but oh so adorable. We make eye contact after she hugs Jet Star. She stares me down for a few seconds, and I find it hard to look away from her. She finally breaks the spell of cuteness, and looks up at Jet for answers.

Luckily, he could read her expression as easily as I could. "Kid, this is Sparx Fire. Her situation is complicated, like yours."

She blinks, and then all of her assumed cuteness is gone. "But she's a big girl. She's old."

"Hey hey, wait one second here, you're calling me old? And I thought you were cute!" I hiss, glaring at her. But she doesn't shrink back. She sneers back.

"Oh, well, gee golly, miss!" She says, mocking a little girl. "Now _you're _the one acting like a little girl. Suck it up, princess."

"Brat." I mutter, clenching my fist. That's what I hated most about kids. They were untouchable, even if they acted like bitchy adults. She growls.

Jet shook his head. "Guys!" He started. "Must we have a dispute every time we meet a new kill joy?" He gives us both a look, then starts up again. "Glow Kid! I'm disappointed in you! When was the last time you met another girl other than Cherri Cola? What happened to being nice to our guests?"

She shuts up and looks down. She meets my eyes for a split second, but than embarrassingly breaks eye contact. The girl stares at her feet, but smirks when Jet whips his head around and starts on me.

"And you. You should no better than to try and pick a fight with a little girl!"

I open my mouth to retort, But he cuts me off.

"No excuses. You're better than that." He scolds. I feel like I'm back in elementary, being yelled at for something I knew I was gonna get caught for in the end. Feeling so small as they yell…

I scrunch my nose. "Fine. I apologize, then." I growl, mocking her with a fake little curtsy.

She sticks out her tongue, I copy her, and Jet throws up his hands as if to say, I'm done.

It's silent. Awkward. Glances (and in my case, glares,) are exchanged, until finally the wooden floor starts to creak, and heavy breathing enters my ear drums. I don't need to turn around to know who it is.

"Well, hey there, motorbaby." The husky voice chuckles. "You can call me Doctor Death Defying."

**I felt this was kind of… Filler-ish. But it wasn't, at the same time! xD Feel like I didn't get enough done. Whatever. Next chapter will be fabulous, My pinky promises! **


	4. Chapter 3

**-Authors Note-**

**Well. Ohai thar.**

**xD**

**Things have been hectic lately, but believe it or not, to me that makes me write more. I've been talking to the coolest guy in the world, whom I like and whom likeS me back, and that puts me in such a good mood I just CAN'T stop writing! ****So, usually, I don't update this often.**

**Just saying.**

**I DON'T OWN NOTHING! :D But it would be sweetness if I did…**

**Follow me on Twitter, Emmingle. STALK ME!**

"You can call me Doctor Death Defying."

I turn around slowly, the biggest smile on my face possible. I can only imagine how goofy I look.

"Doctor, I'm Sparx Fire. It's truly an honour to meet you…" I gush, reaching out a hand. He smiles warmly at me. I notice the twinkle in his deep eyes, a twinkle that had left the eyes, and _souls, _Of most after the boom. I admire him already.

Instead of shaking my hand, he gives it a high-five. "Great to meet you, Sparx." He chuckles. "Now, Party told me you had a question to ask me?" He says.

I look down, noticing the wheel chair he had been confined to. I think for a second, before meeting his gaze once more.

"Well…" I start hesitantly. "It's more of a favour, I guess, than a question…" I tuck my hair behind my ear, but it falls back into place.

He looks at me expectantly. "…Go on." He says. I find comfort in his deep voice.

And so I start my story.

_I remember the loneliness more than anything else._

_The cold nights, feeling empty, but no more tears to cry. The long days spent walking, my only companion a radio._

_I remember, in one of my old groups in which I stayed only about a month or two, with around 6 or 7 people in it, one had spoken to me. _

"_Spark…" He said, looking me in my crimson eyes._

_His own were a deep, unnatural green, and they shone in the moonlight, as we gathered around a large, built fire. His hands were strong, and his hair was windswept, but what most stood out about him was his personality._

_Yeah, yeah, I know it sounds cheesy. But… there was just something._

_Something that made me blush and hide my face every time he smiled._

"_Yes?" I reply, grinning ear to ear._

_He chuckled and looked down, tucking a strand of chocolate brown hair behind his ear. ( I had gotten the bad habit of doing that when I was nervous from him. ) "I…" he looked up at me again._

_Then looked down,_

_Then looked up._

_I could see the tint of his cheeks turn a faded pink as he looked me in the eyes. _

_I miss those soulful green eyes…_

_I remember leaning in. I remember kissing him with all I had._

_I remember a week later, waking up next to him, his arm around me. I remember thinking it would be forever._

_But I've learned, in fact,_

_Forever is just a word, not a promise._

_That day, I remember him making me stay back with some of the others, as he left to fight of a large number of Dracs._

"_I love you too much to lose, Ivory." He sighed._

_I remember the last kiss he had given me, and the last time I had seen him, the back of his head, as he walked away towards the old mustang we had kept. Driving off into the distance, as two others held me back from running after him._

_I remember the tears streaming down my face, the screaming and begging and pleading coming out of between my chapped lips._

_But…_

_The thing I remember most about what had happened, was feeling the loneliness pool_

_back into my heart as he never came back._

I had explained to DDD about my current situation, about how I was hopelessly alone.

Alone…

I shiver.

By now it's just him and I, sitting on the bar stools- Well, I am, anyway. He's in his

wheelchair. He had prepared some kind of pre-boom tea, it tasted like herbal, and he had

admitted he had found it under the sink long ago when he had discovered the old diner.

I had told him about my family, my friends, my groups. About the things I had seen, and

things I could not un-see.

He had nodded, listened to my story. Not interrupted once. He just looked on, as if he

was slowly processing my words.

Finally, as I started into my half empty cup, the silence stating my finish, he spoke. It startled me.

"What you've told me… Sounds like a whole lot of sadness for one young lady." He shakes his head. "The bomb has effected many like you. Leaving them with nothing."

He pauses to take a sip of the herbal drink in his hands, the steam rising up to his wrinkled, bold features.

"We, here, are lucky. PartyPoison, Jet Star… All of them, myself, and some others, we are lucky to have what we have. A roof over our heads, food to eat, most of the time… and love. We have… what is kind of like a family. Glow Kid, her innocence-" I scoff at this. "-Pulls us together. Gives us character. Heart."

Another head shake.

"I can't explain how much I owe all of them… But like I was saying, there are many like you, with nothing, no one. We can't help them all."

I blink and look down. I can feel the rejection.

"but, Sparx Fire, there is something about you I cannot fathom. You seem… So, different. Hurt, but hopeful."

Another pause. A low, hearty laugh escapes his lips. "I don't imagine I make any sense. It's hard to put the aura you put off into words…"

I smile, and for a minute, I see something flash in his eyes. Worry.

"Sparx, I would love it if you could stay with us. With Show Pony around, we don't need much anymore… but there's always something. Always." He smiles at me once more, and wheels off into the middle of the room. I stay seated.

"Everyone!" He calls loudly. A smile is hinting on his lips.

I sit there, confused, my feet dangling off of the chair, mug in my lap, as everyone gathers in the room. A woman with gladiator sunglasses perched on top of her head and headphones around her neck, with bleached blonde hair down to her shoulders walked in with a man(?) dressed in blue and white polka dotted leggings, a black leather thong, black motor cycle helmet, NOISE shirt and roller skates come into the room together.

Soon, the brat and the boys walk in. People look confused.

The doctor wheeled around so that he could see me and the others at the same time.

"Sparx Fire…" he clears his throat. "The young lady over there, will be staying with us for a while."

His grin fades as a few people scowl. The woman and Party look nervous, Fun Ghoul looks excited, and the rest just look confused.

The woman looks over at me, her eyes filled with worry, and then switched her gaze to Doctor D.

"Hey, DDD, mind if I talk to you?" She asks nervously. Her sight keeps darting to mine, as if I'm going to jump her any minute now. I jokingly reach for my gun and she freaks out.

The doctor seems to think about it for a second, and then nods and they saunter off into a room. Party Poison and Kobra Kid follow suit.

So I'm left here with Glow Kid, Fun Ghoul, Jet Star and roller-thong, who's real name I don't know. Jet Star is playing with Glow Kid, some kind of shooting game or something.

Swivel, swivel. I swing around on the bar stool, with nothing better to do.

I think about it, really, and my situation is kind of terrible right now.

Just a little bit.

Here I am, some complete stranger walking in, basically demanding a spot in this family of theirs.

I face palm. What the hell WAS I thinking? If I was them, I would have shot me down in a heartbeat. I mean, I sounded suspicious now that I thought about it. I could have been a spy, for all they knew…

I attempt to wallow in my own grief when a tap on the shoulder startles me. I swiftly dart my hand and eyes to my ray gun, when I hear a familiar laugh behind me.

"Relax, Sparky-Sparx." Fun Ghoul chuckles into my ear. I shiver.

Growling, I clench my fists. "Don't call me that, please." I say slowly.

He shrugs and takes a seat next to me on the dusty stool. "Chill. Joke." He smiles. He slouches over, putting his sculpted chin in his hands, elbows on the wooden table. He stares up into space, with the same shine in his eyes of that of a 2nd grader. It's cute.

Ghoul chuckles and rubs his eyes, like he's tired or something. "What _are_ you?" He laughs, hiking up his midnight bangs with his fingers. He takes a peek at me and grins even more.

I shrug. "A white human female." I respond I monotone, fingering the details of a nearby, rusty napkin dispenser.

"No, like, seriously." He says, letting the fair fall back onto his face. He props his chin up once more, but this time, facing me. As if he's ready to listen to some grand ol' life story. "You're just _walking_ for who knows how long, fighting off dracs alone, and when we find you stick Party in an arm lock! It's like you were born into the marines!"

I pause, letting a smile slip across my chapped lips. I open my mouth to say something, but change my mind and just giggle.

"Um, no. I can guarantee I am not in any sort of army force. But I did take karate in third grade." I joke, tucking my hair behind my ear. He's laughing too, now. "Where are you from?" He chuckles.

And suddenly, it's quiet. I stop laughing, and his grin fades into blankness. It's silent for a few, long seconds.

"What do you mean by that?" I ask, my voice almost a hoarse whisper.

Fun Ghoul looks shocked. At the same time, regretful. I mean, pre-boom crap is sort of a tender subject.

"I guess…"

It's quiet for another minute or so.

"I was born and raised in the heart of Battery City."

Ghoul seems surprised. "That was the worst part. How are you alive?" He asks.

I slowly place my head in my hands, staring at the blue strands of my hair falling over my eyes and face. "We owned a bomb shelter." And I laugh weakly. "Pretty random, huh? But it comes in handy in situations like those. Not to say is completely protected me or anything, like, dude. Look at my fucking hair. But at least…"

"At least you're alive." He practically says it with me.

There's a silent tension hanging in the air for the next few minutes, until he breaks the uncomfortable silence.

"Want me to give you le grand tour?" He asks, reaching out a hand. There's a genuine smile on his pale face, and it makes me flush with butterflies.

I take it, and we're off.

Hours later, I lie in a makeshift bed made of sheets and fluffy objects, staring up at the blurry ceiling.

They had decided to let me stay.

They had given me my own "bed",

And insisted I think of them as family.

So here I am, no longer sleeping on rocks… Thinking,

Hey.

Maybe I've found home.

**Whaaadddya think? I tried my best, okayyy! Dx whatever. The ending is kind of meh, I know… but I did that in like, ten minutes tops. I had finished 90% of it within a day and then just left it, and now I picked it up, desperate to finish something for once. xDDD Yeah. So there you go. R&R or I shall FIND you…**

**Bwahahaa! :3**


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N:**

**I STILL don't own anything. Shame.**

**Just. Read. It.**

**This is MY ranting space, and rant I will! I totally deleted all the mainstream shit from my old ipod, and now it is DEDICATED to awesome things, like MCR. I'm listening to Helena. **

**My friend listened to it on a bus back from whistler today(we were snowboarding, I sprained my knee,) and she called it "Softcore screamo". Wtf? xD**

**I felt last chapter was shortish. I mean, it flashed by, right? :/ I'm unhappy with it.**

**So I'm just going to add on to it a bit. Got it? **** Same chapter, different scene.**

**AND, ACTIONNN! XD**

_Oh. And thanks to terrablaze. :] I just came up with the title. Like, it took me 5 seconds to think of it. It was a quicky, and I wish I spent more time on thinking of one. ._

"Okay, no offense, doctor D, but are you a fucking _idiot!"_ Cherri Cola screams, slamming her magenta gloved hand down on a table.

He clears his throat. "I actually do find that quite offens-"

"No." I deep glare is in her large chocolate brown eyes, and her hand curls into a tight fist. "We don't know this girl. I thought you were smarter than that!" She snaps. "She's a spy. What else could she be?"

Party Poison stays quiet, fiddling with his zipper. So out of character.

"Who would just walk across the zones like that, looking for a random man, to just, like, live with?"

"DJ fetish." Party chuckles.

Both of their heads whip around. "Shut up." They say simultaneously.

"Honestly, I don't know, Cherri." The doctor sighs, shaking his head. "But I decided to give her a chance. Can't you two be positive for a few days? We'll see. And if you were right-"

"Which I am."

"Then we can boot her out, or shoot her, as easily as we let her stay."

The room is silent, and Cherri Cola steps back a bit, nodding in agreement. Party Poison speaks up, finally.

"I think that's a fine plan, actually…" he agrees, "Just… Keep your eyes out. If she's dangerous, and we go around trusting her…"

Cherri's eyes turn icy and cold. Tension floats around the room. "Then we end up with bullets in our backs."

"Well, if you wanted honesty, that's all you had to say…"

The words just slip past my lips, into the open, contaminated air of a chilly California evening.

I lean back onto the tiles behind me- as I am on the roof of the diner- And let out a sigh.

My breath forms a sort of cloud, then floats up to the heavens.

The last few days…

They had been… It's hard to explain, really. I mean, they were awkward. Fun. Romantic? No. Flirty.

I roll my eyes at myself. I felt like I couldn't trust them yet. I mean, they were some great guys. But I had felt watched. It seemed wherever I was, so was Cherri Cola, giving me this evil eye.

Once, I glared back. After some uncomfortable silence, she storms out, her dainty, oil smudged hands balled into fists.

"Jesus, woman, PMS much?" I had screamed after her, and flipped bangs out of my face.

It seemed the only I privacy I got was at night, when everyone was sleeping. It had become a habit to just come outside, and sing. Think. Breathe…

Just breathe.

"…I never want to let you down, or have you go, it's better off this way."

I laugh. Those words were pretty much the only lyrics I remember, from _anything. _Music faded fast, after the whole nuke-war shit.

I hum what I remember to be the tune, and let myself close my eyes, and just fade into peacefulness.

I wake up, who knows how much later (It looked about 9:00ish,), to a loud motor in the distance, I scramble up, reaching for my gun.

Fuck.

My mind goes blank for a second, and then I flash back to the night before, placing it on my mattress.

I carefully peer over the edge of the roof, to see a few medium sized white cars and motorbikes driving towards the diner. And I knew those drivers...

"Fucking dracs, shit!" I whisper hoarsely, running my fingers through my hair. I didn't have time to run down and grab my gun, and I knew the others knew they were here, they had these ninja spy cam things. I stay frozen in my spot like the wimp I am.

They get closer and closer, until they pull over roughly and step out, guns in hands. Finally, the killjoys all step out with their various colourful weapons, determined looks scratched onto their faces.

The dracs get closer and closer, and the battle began.

Rays fly, and I watch as bodies fall. Luckily, not our team. But then, out of the corner of my eye, I see something move suddenly. I look down, and as Fun Ghoul is taking on a few of the menaces, another one is fiddling with it's gun, trying to aim with it's damaged, most likely dominant arm.

I let out a battle cry and launch myself off the roof.

Half of a second passes, and I feel weightless, blank. But finally reality pools back in within milliseconds, I'm on something white and hard. I remember what I was doing ad quickly go ninja on the Draculoids neck, wrestling the gun out of his palm afterwards.

Fun Ghoul swivels around, giving me a surprised look.

"Where _were _you!" He gasps, looking me over.

I roll my eyes. "We can chat later, Ghoul. I believe there are some asses waiting to be whooped by the fabulous killjoys." I grin, and aim my gun once more.

_3 0 m i n u t e s l a t e r . ._

All eyes are on me. Cherri Cola and Party Poison stare me down the hardest, and a cold look is infused with the curiosity.

We're all on the couches in the main room. Legs are crossed, glances are exchanged.

"I was on the roof the whole time." I say slowly¸ giving a pathetic believe-me look to Party.

Jet Star chuckles. "We were very worried. We wake up, and you're just gone!" he smiles, un-crossing and re-crossing his arms.

"it's your stuff that convinced us you hadn't gotten up and just left us." Ghoul laughs, nudging my shoulder playfully.

I freeze, My dark eyes icing over.

"You looked… Through my bag..?" I almost whisper, and suddenly, I am the unmoving statue.

Dread washes over me, and I close eye eyes.

It's silent.

"…Um, no." Party Poison says, "Why? Is there something wrong?" There's worry in his voice again.

I break out into a fake smile. I was still worried they had. "Ha ha," I giggle, Of course not. Just wondering." I say a bit too enthusiastically. I regret it as soon as I close my mouth.

More glances.

"Whatever." I roll my eyes and head for the door again.

I sat leaning against the west side of the building, hair spilling over my aching shoulders. That fall had taken a lot out of me.

The silence is broken, though. And foot steps approach me, slowly and cautiously.

"Hey…" says a low, nervous voice, and soon his shadow forms over me. I look up.

His red mane glows in the afternoon light. "I'm sorry… It's not like, we meant to offend you or anything. We're worried. Can't you understand that?" Party Poison sighs, running his big, manly hand through his hair.

I shiver from the cold, and he notices. Party sits next to me and crosses his arms. "I just know, as stubborn as you are, you'll be offended, but we've been betrayed before by "strays"."

I stay silent.

"There was this one girl… Kobra had fallen hard for her, so he took her side when we accused her of things. But then she took some very, very important documents, and with the information that Korse could take us down with, tried to escape.

"We caught up, luckily. We had the trans-am, and she a motor bike. We had to take her down, and get the documents back. And… It killed Kobra-kid. He was never the same. He still hasn't gotten over the fact that he was betrayed by one he loved."

His gorgeous eyes fill with sorrow, and I reach out for his hand. He jerks it away quickly.

"I'm not like that, Party Poison. I never will do anything to betray any single one of you." I say quietly.

He's quiet for a few seconds, and then whispers out. "I sure hope so." And his breath rises up to the unforgiving sky.

I bite my lip, the awkward silence filling my ears. "Tell you what. To prove to you I'm not about to kill you all," I reach out to my bag, pulling out a tattered blue pocket-book.

I open it, and out slips an aged birth certificate. It was torn and dusty, but better than nothing. I hand it to him, and he seems to study it for a few seconds.

"My name is Ivory. There's your proof that I'm not some pill-head."

He looks surprised. "Why did you tell me this?" he asks.

"I guess I just want you guys to trust me." I shrug, and take it back, shoving the passport into my messenger bag.

Party stands up, smiling. "Thank you, Spa-… _Ivory. _Please don't be offended if you don't get much privacy, though. Some of the bitches in there are like hostile dogs."

I grin, knowing who he's talking about. "Ha, cough, cough, Cherri Cola." I wink.

He winks back, and walks inside.

And then I'm alone again.

But that's okay.

"I'm okay, now."

**Once again… I despise the ending. But whatever. Anyone catch the lyrical references? **


	6. Chapter 5

**Yar har fiddle dee dee~…**

**xDYeah. HIYA! 1), I don't own nothing.**

**B), Like. YO. And stuffs. I don't really have anything to say..**

**OH YEAH. LIKE, DUDES. NOT COOL. I have a grand total of **_**douze **_**comments. And I'm saying it in French because I'm pissed.**

**C'mon… I KNOW there's more than 5 of you out there. Do me a favour, peeps! Lemme know your there! Because whenever I check my email and see that someone has, like, reviewed me, I freak out and immediately open Mic. Word. No joke, **_**mon amis!**_

_**Shoutout to ALTERATION LOVER!**_

**I cannot believe it`s you, I love your fics. xD High five for being Canadien, oui oui! Permet de parler en français alors que les Américains stupides ne sais pas ce que nous parlons. Ahahaha! XD I hope you speak French.**

**ANYWAYS.**

I was told it's healthy to laugh away your problems.

I was also told it's healthy to cry away your problems.

But here in year 2019, when the entire world is against you and your decision to save them from their color blind ways, it's not easy to do either.

So I was ecstatic when Kobra Kid walked into the diner with two large bags on each hand. "Party time, guys." He winks.

Immediately all of us swarm him, prodding the bags and asking him questions.

"Holy fuck, Kobra. You're a beast. where'd you get the liquor?" I ask, peeking inside of a large, stretched out and holy plastic bag.

Fun Ghoul laughs and grabs another. "Yeah, dude, this looks like some expensive shit. Ghoul gone' have some fun tonighhttt." He squeals, lugging the bag off to the kitchen.

But as we're laughing and reading the labels of the new found treasure, Party Poison steps in.

And the room gets awkward and silent.

"Kobra," He says sternly. "Where did you get this?" There's an angry glint in his eyes, But I can tell that Kobra was used to it, because he didn't cower like the rest of us would have.

"A store." He says challengingly. Party raises an eyebrow at this.

"And, Kobra Kid, how did you manage to _obtain _these alcoholic drinks? Did you _steal _them, perhaps?" I look over at Kobra, and back to Party, and slowly back away from what might get uglier than necessary.

He rolls his eyes and shoves the remaining bag to me, and I catch it before it drops and the contents shatter over the dusty wooden floor. I'm still in awe, though. It's like Party Poison has taken over the fatherly role.

"Hell no, Gee. What the fuck do you think I am?" He pauses. "I tipped her quite finely, if I do say so my self."

"Tipped her off, more like." Fun Ghoul whispers to me. "Doctor D said mentioned some dracs around that area." He chuckles, then speaks up, on behalf of all us.

"I think I speak for everyone here, when I say, don't be a party pooper, Party Poison." He laughs.

Party shakes his head and motions towards a closed door the right side of the room. "We have a young child to set an example for!"

The room is silent for a second, until a more female voice speaks up. "C'mon, Party Poison. Live a little. Even I could use a drink." Cherri Cola muttered. I jump, never thinking she was even in the room.

He throws his hands up in defeat, and walks out of the room.

No one seems to care that he's extremely pissed off, though, because a few hours later, even Doctor D was sitting with us as I downed my third shot of Bacardi Gold.

The sun was setting faster with every sip, and soon, the room was dark, and everyone was as giggly and airheaded as a balloon.

"See, I… toasht." I slurr, raising a glass of who the hell fuckking careddd. "To the _fucking _FABULOUS killjoyssss. Because they are kickass… And stuff." I smile toothily at Jet Star who clinks his shot glass with mine.

Fun Ghoul laughs loudly with the rest of us, and slams down his glass. "I haven't… Danced, in freaking years." He states a-matter-of-factly in his drunk stutter. "I just wanna daaaance, bitches!" And then he's breaking out into song.

Cherri Cola and the doctor were just buzzed, laughing at us being completely wasted. Party, Show Pony, and Glow Kid were locked up in the other room, playing an old pre-boom board game.

But us, stupid four, like, like, like, the three fucking musketeersss plus another guy, or like, something, we were hammered. I step up, stumble for a few feet, and wrap my arms around Ghoul's tan neck.

"Dance with me, motherfucker." I stutter, pursing my lips and attempting to give him a sexy look with my glazed eyes.

I take it I didn't look very sexy, as he broke out into laughter. "Ahaha, Sparx, I would be ho-onered." And then his muscular jobs are around my waist, and we're slow dancing to fucking Nirvana.

And then I felt the room slow, shake, whizz, and I almost lost my footing. But Ghoul was there, and he caught me before I could knock myself out on the floorboards.

We continue to laugh and dance with our arms wrapped around each other, and eventually we're so close that we're mere centimetres away from being pressed up against each other's warm figures, practically grinding to "Lithium".

I giggle. "You look funny." I grin up at him. His face was a mix of laughter and pleasure, and I look down.

"…"

And of course, there's nothing to do but cackle. "AHAHA, You horny beast!" I say, grinding myself up against him a bit more to tease.

"What can I say? Beautiful girl, good music, fucking awesome booze…" Ghoul sighs, licking his lips.

I unravel my arms from his neck and attempt to walk in a straight line to where the rest of them are drinking and laughing about. I hug Kobra from behind, and he stiffens.

"Aha, ha, I'm a Draculoid, om nom nom." I slur, tugging at his sleeve.

Jet Star corrects me, his face red from the alcohol. "Dracs don't go om nom nom, _Party _goes om nom nom." He points out with his glass, and some of the transparent liquid sloshes out.

"I'd like to see him say that." I chuckle, shaking my head. I picture the sight of dear Party Poison in a dinosaur costume, and go into hysterics.

"She's lost it! Finally!" Kobra cries out, taking my hand and leading me towards the door. Ghoul and Jet follow suit, and within a few minutes, we're all dancing in the middle of the night, clouded moon hung high over the sky, illuminating our every moves like a spotlight. The ground beneath our feet seems to fade away, and we're sent spiralling, laughing, twirling into the stars.

But the happy moments soon end as something fast and hot whizzes by my nose, leaving a small burn mark.

The music playing in our heads immediately stops, and we all turn our attention to the cars heading towards us.

All I see are headlights.

And hell, are those moments over. My heart stops, and it's not because of alcohol poisoning, or a drunk hook up on the couch. No. It's because of the dozens of dracs heading our way, as we stood, gaping.

We're all screaming, trying to stay on our feet as we run inside. But trying to warn your team mates that we were so fucking close to being shot down, or worse- is difficult when you're dead wasted.

The world-

What happened? It was like being underwater. It felt lopsided, and stuck into slow motion. I tried to run as fast I could but it seemed my feet couldn't grip the earth, and the feeling of floating overwhelmed me.

The feeling passed, and the loud screams of "wake the fuck up," Quickly flooded back into my eardrums.

I grabbed my blaster and looked up at Poison. He was loading up his ray gun and running out the door. All of the killjoys ran out the door, and Cherri Cola, Doctor D, Show Pony and Glow Kid were left behind, Show Pony ushering her into the shadows.

I quickly follow Party and the others into the trans-am, sitting in between Jet and Ghoul. Party floors it, and we're all thrown back into our seats.

"Don't just sit there, you idiots!" He screams at us, blindly shooting the cars behind us. "We have to get out of here, make them think we're all here- I'm not letting them get Glow Kid. She's in hiding."

We follow orders of course, and acting as sober as possible, attempt to shoot down the vehicles on our tail.

"Kobra, take the wheel, I need a clean shot." Party demands, after a few minutes of the chase. He already starts to lean out the window.

Kobra Kid gulps and shakes his head. "N-no, Party Poison, that isn't a good idea. Believe me." I could hear the shame in his voice. Of course he wasn't going to admit how piss drunk he was, but because of that intoxication, it was hard to think of an excuse.

Party's patience is extremely low, and he screams out. "Michael Way, take the goddamn wheel before I turn this ray gun on you!" And then he stops. We all stop. He had broken a deathly important rule, and with him all of us leaning out of different windows, and no ones' hand on the wheel, you can only imagine the chaos that ensued.

"…Oops." He whispered.

But really, who heard? All that I could hear at that very moment was death.

Yes, death.

The sound of the metal vehicle going off road and smashing into a large rock face. Every single one of us is thrown out, we land, bloody and broken on the dirty ground.

I don't even remember screaming.

I faded in and out for the next few seconds(Or was it minutes? Hours? Days…?), and then I could focus.

_He_ was in front of us all, in an ugly, color blind ensemble, blaster in hand, Draculoids following suit.

Korse.

"Keep running." He growled in his husky, rumbling voice. Then he spit, and started to walk away.

And then, I swear, slow motion came back again, as he walked away. I don't remember being able to hear anything, except for the high squeals coming out of the mouth of a small, ten year old girl, as she tried to break free from the arms of two Draculoids. I don't remember being able to see anything but those eyes, making contact with Party's own hazel eyes, the begging and pleading in those irises.

But after that…

I don't know.

The crimson blood dripped down into my eyes, obscuring my vision until it was all I could see.

I blacked out.

I died.

…**Or DID she? xD I'll keep you on your toes. Why not? A lot of you who's stories I read end up like that, and then I'm forced to inbox you a message full of desperation and cusses.**

**LIKE, MUDDAFUCKA, WUZ WIDDA CLIFFHANGA?**

**IDK. But I'm letting you all suffer…**

…**slooooowwwllyyyy… xD **

**REMEMBER. READ, REVIEW! REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW! …Or I won't start the next chapter. Bwahaha! **

**P.S. Do you think this is long enough? I feel like it's puny. ."**

_~Orielle_


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N. **

**Stilll don't own anything. **

**NOTE:**

**A certain reader of mine speaks French.**

**Holy shit, man, this could be loveee. xD **

_I open my eyes. Around me, nothing but blue sky and dusty white clouds._

_My mouth is slack as I stand up and take a good look around._

_Several hundred metres away sit a large, white giraffe and an older, obese man, both decked out in flowy white toga-esque robes._

_I walk for a few minutes until I am at the side of the table, looking over their card game. But I cast no shadow. For some reason, there are no shadows._

"_Excuse me…" I start._

_The strange pair keep up the game, not acknowledging me at all whatsoever. _

"_Go fish." The giraffe scoffs, looking down at the man. The man huffs and picks up a card._

"_Um, pardon me…" I say again, tapping the cloaked shoulder of the giraffe. _

_Still nothing._

_I wave my hands in their faces, knock over the deck…_

"_You have a 4?"_

"_Go fish."_

"_Liar. I saw your cards a minute ago when you bent over to adjust your sandal."_

_I'm tired, in pain, and confused. "MOTHER FUCKERS!" I yell out at the top of my lungs, and they both swivel around with looks of panic on their faces. The giraffe sighs and gives me a tired smile after seeing I'm no lion, or anything of the sort._

"_Oh, sorry ma'm. I`m afraid we didn`t see you there." The talking giraffe seems to say._

"_I did. I just thought if we ignored her, she'd go away." _

"_Cadbury, you need to shut up before I spit on you."_

_I poke into the conversation, once again feeling ignored. "Isn't it the llama that spits…? Not the giraffe?" I point out._

_The giraffe shakes his head. "it doesn't matter. We're both amphibians."_

_I don't even bother correcting him. This place is too weird._

_Doing a full 360, all I can see is clouds. And then, of course, to my left, the two debating whether or not it is legal to slingshot yourself across the Atlantic ocean. Awfully random pair, they were._

"_Anyways, where are the pearly gates?" I ask them, and immediately they turn to look at me. The cards on the table slowly begin to float upwards to the blue sky above, as if gravity was on a coffee break._

"_Pearly gates?" Cadbury asks._

_Giraffe shakes his head. "She's mistaken, Cadbury. I've not seen any pearly gates, have you?"_

_Big ol' baldy shakes his head._

"_Wait a second," I stutter, becoming more frustrated by the second. I clench my fists, and desperately wish for my ray gun. "No pearly gates! Well then, what the fuck do the dead go through?"_

_They blink at me, like I'm some weird creature._

"…_Dead? Who said you were _dead_? Wake up."_

"_Wake up."_

"_Wake up."_

"_Wake up."_

"_Wake up!"_

_And then my eyes open, and light floods into my vision._

"Wake up, Spark!"

I awaken to a worried looking Ghoul shaking me by the shoulders. I muster the best "look" I can, just having woken up a few seconds ago.

"Oh, Spark, you're finally awake!" He gasps, giving me a huge bear hug to crush my lungs. "We thought you were dead!"

I manage out a, "…We…?", which was pretty impressive considering my lungs were being crushed by 130 or so pound man.

He lets go, and I look over his shoulder to see Kobra Kid, Jet Star, and Show Pony.

All of the guys have some sort of medical bandage on them, proving that what had happened the night before wasn't a dream, but in fact… Reality.

I shiver.

"Ghoul…" I whisper hoarsely. "Where's Party?" I ask him, and he looks a bit… Dissapointed? Betrayed? Jealous? The look is gone within milliseconds, though, and the motions towards the door.

"He's taking it harder than anyone else. Even Cherri Cola… He's moping about outside." He shrugs, And looks down.

I swing my legs off of the bed, and begin to make my way there. But soon Kobra-Kid is at my side, helping me walk. I hate to say it, but it helped. My leg felt glitched.

I make my way up to the roof, after thanking Kobra, and see red.

No, really. All I can seem to make out is Party Poison's fluorescent hair.

"…Party?" I say quietly, moving over to him and sitting down.

He's just sitting there, hugging his knees. Next to him lie three empty cups of coffee, and two empty cigarette cartons. His eyes are red, and even though he'll never admit it, I know he was crying. He doesn't speak back, but acknowledges me with a sigh.

"She's gone, isn't she?"

More silence.

"Like, not dead… But they _took _her, didn't they…?" He squeezes his eyes shut.

"Yeah." His voice is hoarse, like he hasn't talked in a while.

"I don't remember much…"

"That makes one of us, I can't get that look out of my head."

"What happened, Party?"

He stares off into space, thinking about something. Finally, he opens his mouth.

"We drove off, right? And I accidentally called Kobra by his first name, which you now know is Michael, or, Mikey, as we call him. We were all shocked, and it didn't help that you were all _piss drunk_…" He clears his throat. "…None of us had the wheel, and I guess we just drove off the road, off of this face. We crashed, and since every damn single one of us was sticking out of the window, we all ended up dead in the dust. Actually, I'm surprised we're all still here. The odds of living were against us… Turns out, they weren't as stupid as we thought though. As we, the distraction, and the protection, might I say- drove off, Korse and some of his minions split off the search the house. Again, we're all alive- which is insane. But… We lost… One…"

He bites his lip.

"They took her, Ivory." Party's voice wobbles, and I can tell he's on the edge of tears.

"Party Poison…"

"Gerard."

"What?"

"My name is Gerard, Ivory."

I stay silent. Maybe it's just because he was breaking down, going into hysterics that he had told me, but I was proud. And shocked, that he would give me his first name. That he would trust me enough to say that.

"Thank you…"

Gerard's hands shake as he reaches for another cigarette, and fumbles with the lighter for a second.

"Gerard, it's okay."

He looks at me like I'm crazy. "She's fucking 10! How is she going to survive with what they put older killjoys through!"

I nod. "She's 10. who is going to kill a 10 year old girl? I don't even think Korse could do that." I'm lying, mostly. I know he's fully capable of killing her off, and would do it in a heartbeat if he had to. But they were using her… As bait, maybe? I was fully aware of this, but wasn't going to drive him any crazier. So I left that out.

He pauses. "That's true."

"So that buys us some time, right? We get back in shape, make a kick ass plan, and bust in there and steal back our Glow." I smile at him and sling an arm around his neck.

He grins at me. I can tell he feels better. "Okay then," He says, putting out his smoke. "But I thought you two hated each other?"

I think about it for a second, and nod. Then shake my head. "I don't know. I despise that child and everything she says, but I'm not in the mood to ignore the kidnap of the young child."

Gerard smiles and looks own, unwrapping his arms from around his knee and pushing his hair back with a blistered palm. "You think like a true, genuine killjoy…" He says to me, looking me in the eye with those hazels of his."

"…But we need to work on your drunk persona. Do you have any idea how many things you guys knocked over?" He laughs.

I put up my hands in defence. "Hey hey, blame that Fun Ghoul of yours. Apparently I turn him on." I grin, remembering the night before. That had been fucking hilarious.

"What other embarrassing crimes did I commit?"

"You made out with two out of the four fabulous killjoys, and almost slept with my brother. But he told me that a good song came on, and you left him to dance to it."

I'm sitting there in awe. "Oh my god, I'm a whore?"

He smiles at me, those pearly whites flashing in the sun. "An intoxicated whore, I'm afraid. The worst kind."

I laugh with him, giving him a playful push. "How rude." Party just sticks out his tongue.

"Thanks. I feel a lot better, now. I'm gonna have a chat with Doctor D, see if we can start planning for the breach for Glow Kid." He states, standing up and brushing himself off. "Are you coming inside?" He asks, gesturing towards the fire escape.

I shake my head. "Nah. Actually, think I could go on patrol around the zone, quickly? I think it would take my mind off some of this drama." I tell him, and really, it's true. I just wanted to be able to think about what had happened with some peace and quiet, but I still wanted to be helpful.

He runs a hand through his hair, obviously thinking.

"If you're asking to take the car, I don't know- because I love that car more than I love Kobra…" Party laughs. I raise an eyebrow at this. "You can always take along a few of the guys, just in case, or something. But if you want to be alone, there's always that rusty old bike in the main room."

I ponder this, and then I tell him my choice, and he throws me his car keys, giving me a wink.

"Watch out, will you?"

Around 20 minutes later, I'm sitting shotgun in the Trans-Am, with Jet Star driving, and Fun Ghoul in the back.

"What made you want to go on Patrol, Sparx?" Jet asked me, brushing a wild curl out of his vision. "Usually, you're more… behind the scenes."

I shrug.

"Is something wrong?"

Another shrug.

"Traumatized over yesterday?"

I hesitate, then shrug once more.

"Ding ding ding, we have a winner…" I hear Ghoul mutter in the back seat. I take this as an opportunity to speak up.

"I-I don't know… I just, something feels off. Both physically, and mentally."

I pause.

"There's one less annoying piece of lint around to piss me off. It's weird. But… Another thing. Just, my sight, it's so weird. I'm not color blind, but that color-y part of my eye is fucking _messed, _man. It's just like, red is brighter than ever. Just the sight of blood is so bright, it hurts."

It's silent.

"I sound wack. I'm sorry." I apologize, looking out the window again, brushing my fingers to the wind.

Jet clears his throat. "When we get back, I'll get Pony to take a look at your eyes. But, Spark, if you could tell me one thing-"

"No."

"Sorry… What?"

"Ivory."

"beg _pardon?"_

I turn to him, looking him in the eye. "My name is Ivory. Don't call me Sparx Fire anymore."

The car is awkwardly silent for a minute or two. I lean back.

"That goes for you too, Ghoul." I smile at him, and grins right back.

"Well, Ivory, my birth name gifted to me by my parental units is Frank. Franklin, Frankfurt, Whatever. Just call me Frank, hear?" Gho- _Frank_ says to me, giving me a toothy smile and a wink to go with it. My heart skips a beat.

I keep looking into his eyes, until Jet breaks his lusty spell. "And I'm Ray." He nods, keeping his deep eyes on the road.

"Thanks guys," I smile, giving Frank one last look before I turn back around to stare out the window.

It's quiet for a while, but in sort of a good way- if that made any sense whatsoever. But it was fine. Until the crackling of a radio flooded into the car.

"_Jet, Ghoul, Spark, come in. It's Party Poison." _The radio fuzzes some more, and I hear Kobra Kid in the background.

"_We have a plan, guys. We're going to get our Gracie back."_

**Every single chapter I make I'm not so sure about. Is it long enough? Is it suspenseful? Dramatic? Descriptive? I will seriously shoot myself if the next chapter isn't better. I swear. xD**


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N**

**Heyerzz, guys. :D Once again, me no own nothing but Sparx. Yep, yep, yep.**

**One of you guys is a fabu irish chick. You know who you are, and you are freaking awesome. (: Cough, cough, BETTERLIVINGINDUSTRIES! Your reviews make me grin X1000!**

**One more thing. I drew out and colored Ivory/Sparx, and below is the link. I know it's not perfect, out of proportion, and has lots of mistakes, and I'm sorry for that. But, dudes, you gotta **_**deal.**_** :9**

We sat at the wobbly old wooden table, some standing, some sitting on the limited supply of matching chairs.

"Gracie, I presume, is Glow Kid?" I say, leaning forward in my seat. Actually, I wasn't sitting on a chair, I was sitting on Kobra Kid's lap, but you get the idea.

**(Random A/N: I'm turning her into such a whore. xD)**

I get a nod from Party Poison as he tries to spread out the blueprints of something. "That's right. Her real name is Grace. And she won't be happy at all about me telling you, but whatever. I don't feel like we need to hide anything from you anymore."

I feel a whole lot more accepted here, and grin at him. Kobra Kid pipes up from behind me.

"Note. I'm Mikey." He says, deciding it was time for me to know.

"Random timing, Mikey. I'm Ivory."

"Sweet."

"Yeah, I know." I giggle, and go back to watching Gerard's struggle with flattening the blueprints. Finally, he puts a book on each side, and points to what looks like a fire escape.

"Remember guys," He starts, looking up at us. "This is 100% work in progress. We need to find out more about the building before we even _attempt _what my crazy mind thought up."

Everyone nods.

"Okay. We would enter from here…" Gerard taps the fire escape again, "Make our way through this hallway, taking out anything, and I mean _anything _that gets in our way. Drac, Employee, things like that. And if you see an eyecam, you shoot the shit outta that thing before it sends an alarm. Hear?"

I speak up. "But, Gee, where did they take her?" I ask, pushing myself up a bit to get a better look at the stolen document.

He sighs, running a hand through his greasy red hair. He seems to be thinking, his eyes scanning over the print.

"We're thinking around… over here." Mikey says for him, reaching over me to circle an area with his finger. "But we can't be sure, It could be on an entirely different floor- or wing, altogether. Another reason we aren't rushing into it any time soon."

Gerard leans against the wall a foot or so away. He's looking down, and his hair falls over his beautiful eyes.

"…I miss her already. We need to get her back as soon as possible, guys."

"We'll get her back, Gee." Ghoul says from a few feet away, slinging an arm around his neck. "And she'll be unharmed. And if not, we're just gonna have to kill 'em all, right?"

"Right."

"Little girl…" a middle aged, bald man says from behind his perfectly white desk. Grace sat in a chair, surrounded by guards. Her hands were locked down , handcuffed to the lengths of the arm rests.

"…I believe you have something we want."

Grace shakes her head defiantly.

The man leans over his desk, his hands clasped together in a business-like way.

"Tell us where they are."

"Never!" She spits at him, and he looks terribly disgusted.

"I am the one calling the shots here, and I _strongly _suggest you tell me where those files are, or face the deathly consequences!"

She, being the brave, aged-before-her-time ten year old, looked death in the eye, and sneered. "Go ahead, kill me. Because my corpse will be about as useful to you as one of those boneheads you call Draculoids."

"Those boneheads are to thank for you being here. This is your last chance- Are you going to tell me where those drafts are?" Korse says, glaring at her, his eyes void of all emotions, and as cold and hard as rocks.

She grins back at him, the smile not meeting her eyes. "Go ahead, I'll see you in hell, Korse."

Korse, as angry as ever, stands up straight, and faces two of the guards. "Dispose of her." He growls, and waits for them to strike into action.

But the guards exchanged glances, nervously shifting between feet. "Boss…" One says, the eyes showing through his smiley-face mask hesitant. "She's, like, eight."

Grace pipes in. "Ten!"

"What she said."

Korse barks back at the guard. "Fine, if you won't do it, I will!" He whips out his ray gun, and unclicks the safety. He's aimed, look of sheer domination on his face, when a voice from behind him speaks.

"Don't."

He turns around, surprised, to see a young Japanese woman dressed in monotone colors standing at the doors. He obeys her command, and snaps his weapon back into the pure white holster.

Grace gives the woman a wholehearted, innocent smile as thanks. The woman gives a tiny smile back, but only her mouth moved- her eyes were still as cruel as ever.

"She will be of use to us."

And little Gracie was whisked back into darkness.

Ivory sat on a makeshift doctor's table, swinging her legs innocently. Show Pony sat in front of her, fingering some medical supplies.

"I'm no doctor…" He told her, looking up. His helmet was still on, visor down, though- He never took it off. "But I know _some _medical stuff. Tell me again what's wrong with your eye?"

I think about it for a second, and then reply half-heartedly. "Ever since the crash, and stuff, like, my colors have been out of whack. Like, they seem faded… All except for red. Red is so prominent, it hurts. Gerard's hair drives me half-mad." I laugh, tucking some hair behind my ear.

He stays silent for a few seconds, obviously thinking about my words. "Well, then I guess I gotta take a look right?" He grins. I can't see the smile, but I can hear it in his voice. Had he wanted to be a doctor before the fires?

He does something weird to my eye, and I can't feel it. I can sort of see through it, but it was completely numb. He pokes my eye with a Q-tip. "Can you feel that?"

"Feel what?"

"Gotcha."

He pokes around my eye for a minute or two.

"Hey doc, you see anything you like? Taking an awful long time…" I sigh.

"Ah- Ivory, there's a whole shit load of blood in your eyes!" He gasps. He gets to work again, looking more determined with every passing second.

After maybe about… Five minutes of my boredom and his hard work, he speaks up. "This is so weird, I can't get it out. I can't do anything, Ive…" He sighs, and places his used utensils in the garbage can nearby.

"What?" I exclaim, pushing myself off of the table, and wince through the head rush that follows. "You mean I'm going to be like this forever, or something!"

He hesitates in the doorway, his back to me. "Until we can find someone with more medical knowledge, I guess. Sorry. Wish I could've been more helpful…"

In other words, you're screwed unless you go to a Battery City doctor.

"Thanks anyways, Show Pony." He nods back to me and skates off into the main room.

All I can feel is frustration, and I run my hands through my hair, gripping my head in anger. "Rrrrrggghhh!" I groan, squinting my eyes shut.

This was going to be one fucked up life, and I knew it. I was so disappointed in myself, and everything else, I could almost see red. Joke intended.

I sit there in the corner and mope for a while, mentally listing all of the things I couldn't do or be anymore. An astronaut, for one, although it wouldn't have happened even if I could see all of the colors of the rainbow and more.

Finally, I refuse to wallow in my own misery anymore, and storm out up to the roof. When I get to my quiet haven, I realize I'm not alone. Frank sits there, cigarette bud and ray gun in hand, until he lowers both.

"Instinct. I'm sorry." He huffs, putting the gun back in its holster. "What are you doing up here?"

I sigh, sitting next to him. "Apparently, I'm like, half colorblind, or something. It's total shit, and I can't be fixed by anyone but a Battery City doctor." He's silent for a second. "Can I have a smoke?" I ask.

He hands over the pack and lighter, but raises an eyebrow. "You don't smoke."

"I've tried, but never got the hang of it. But right now I'll do anything to calm down. I feel so sick of myself because of this shit." I say as I fumble with the navy lighter.

"Ivory…" He starts, rubbing my arm affectionately. "This isn't your fault. And what's the big deal, hey? So you've got, like, a cool battle scar, or something!" He says, trying to cheer me up.

I inhale, and cough a bit, feeling the nicotine calm my nerves. I blow out, watching it fade up to the heavens. "I don't know, Frank. But I feel so imperfect now, less of a warrior. Like, less helpful."

I pause, and breath out again. "I _seriously _just can't explain the feelings I'm feeling right now." I say, tears almost springing to my now imperfect sighted eyes.

"You know what, Sparx Fire," He starts, using my killjoy name. He scoots closer to me and tilts my chin up, so that he's looking into my eyes. "I can't either."

And then he leans in, and places his warm lips on mine. And then, the time flies by, and we're sitting on a roof, getting heavy with the moon slowly greeting us from behind.

His hands are on my shirt, mine in his hair, until his walkie-talkie startles us both, and we crash heads trying to back away.

"_Fun Ghoul… Fun Ghoul, how's patrol?"_

We both blush, and Frank laughs. "Fine, Party. Nothing yet. I'll let you know if something does happen, though."

"_Okay. Another thing. Ivory seems to have jet off. Have you seen her, Ghoul?"_

Oh, yeah. He's seen me, alright.

"Ha ha, yeah! She paid me a visit over here. Been real helpful." He covers for me, and I mouth a 'thanks'.

"_Send her down, will you? It's her night to prepare tonight's grand feast."_

"Uh huh, by grand feast, do you mean dog food, with essence of human puke?" I roll my eyes, saying it as sarcastically as possible.

"_Says you. I prefer eating power pup over rocks and dust any day. Haul your ass over to the kitchen, will you, Ivory?"_

"Sure thing, PP. Be there in a minute." I tell him, and I recognise the sound of this switching of this 'talkie.

"Awww…" Frank fake pouts. "Does this mean we can't make out anymore?"

I stick out my tongue. "Maybe later. Like,_ later_ later, when my tongue won't taste like canned dog shit."

He chuckles at this, and I slip down the fire escape like a ninja.

_h o u r s l a t e r . ._

I toss and turn for a long time. It's night, and everyone _but_ me was sleeping soundly. I strain my ears, and hear voices- people talking. I slowly stand up, ray gun in hand, and sneak into the main room.

There, sitting on the beat up couch, I see Agent Cherri Cola- medium length blonde hair tied up into a messy ponytail, curled up into a ball, watching the fuzzy television.

I'm not sure if she knows I'm there, but I take a step forward to reach to her. The floorboards creak as I do, though. And she doesn't look my way.

"Hey, Ivory." She yawns quietly. Her voice isn't rude, or raging- it was surprisingly calm… And a bit shaky, if you ask me. Had she been crying?

I pause. "How did you know it was me?" I ask her, dropping my guard and stepping forward to sit beside her.

She rests her chin on her knees and blows a golden strand out of her vision. "Saw your hair in the reflection of the TV." She explains, her voice nearly a whisper.

It's silent and awkward.

"Grace used to love this show." She says, and I can just barely hear her over the soft fuzz of the cartoon playing on one of the few channels still broadcasting. "never missed an episode."

I sigh. "She still _does, _Cherri. Don't you guys get that? She's coming back. Just think of It as a vacation, or something." I tell her, and reach for her, trying to comfort the nerves and wipe away her tears.

She shakes me off. "How do you know?" She asks me, and this time looks me in the eyes. Hers are slightly red, like she had been crying earlier.

I close my eyes, and whisper to her. "I just do." I mutter, before drifting off again. She does the same.

But as I sleep, a single question penetrates my sinister dreams.

_How come I'm the only one who seems to think we'll ever see her again?_

**Song time, everyone!**

**Review, review, or I'll kill you~! X24.**

…

**Song's over.**

**Seriously, reviews make my day. I know you guys are out there! :P CIAO!**


	9. Chapter 8

**Hehehe. All of this is belongey to MCR, not Orielle. Fo sho.**

**I'm real sorry, I forgot to put up the link to Ivory. ****.com/albums/af228/PeanutMoo/?action=view¤t;=**

**Drawn and colored by me, the other pics in my albums are EXTREMELY old, so, like, yeah.**

**Announcement. Writers block has decided to pay me a visit. So I'm gonna kill off a few of the killjoys.**

**JKJKJKJK NEVERRRR. But yeah. FML. :P**

It was a hot, sunny day in zone 4, and Mikey, Frank and I were sitting in the exhausting heat trying to escape the noise from inside. Another PMSy moment from Cherri had surfaced, so we had driven off to a quieter, less active zone.

Sweat was rolling down my forehead, and every other surface my body. It had to have been 40 or so Celsius out there- hot enough to take my shirt off. One of the guys had already done so, but knowing how they were, you know, as part of the male species…

I valued my life.

So I kept the shirt _on._

"You know what would be nice?" I say, licking my chapped lips.

Frank shrugged. It was too hot to say anything.

"A cool glass of beer. That's what." I sigh, rolling over to reach Mikey's arm. "We should get drunk, Kobra! That was so much fun!" I exclaim, tugging on his arm obnoxiously.

They both let out cackles. Mikey can't seem to stop. "Are you… Kidding me? You practically… Ha ha… _raped _me, Spark!"

"Like you cared." Frank grins.

"Jealous?"

"Fuck yes."

He winks at me, his long, damp brown hair falling over his eyes. I stick out my tongue.

"Well then, if you guys _don't_ want to whore it up, what is there to do to keep cool?" I ask them, sitting up. Shade didn't help much, that was for sure. "We need a pool. Think Party would go for that?" I wonder to myself, rubbing my tired eyes.

"If only!" Frank yelled out to no one in particular, throwing his arms up into the air.

The discussion had shifted over to swimming, and while they chatted about some pool close to where they had lived before the dracopolypse.

I never saw it coming, and neither did they.

"The fuck!" I scream, as a ray beam whizzes by my earlobe. It stings. I stand up, ray gun in hand, squinting into the distance. Not too far away are what seem to be around 3 or 4 drac cars.

Frank and Mikey are up in milliseconds, guns drawn, mask and visor down.

"Fuck, Spark," Mikey yells at me, shooting at the passengers. "Why didn't you warn us? You were looking right there!" He growls, and shoots some more. I hear the window pane break, but don't see the drac topple out of the window, bloody proof of Mikey Way's anger. Because now, I'm giving him a deadly glare, my mouth slack at his words.

"Mofo, I can't fucking _see!_" I scream, and stomp a few feet away, still shooting.

The cars pull to a screeching halt maybe about, 40 feet away, and all of the passengers step out in haste.

And once again, I'm left in utter shock, as I realize the number of Draculoids we three are up against. I estimate.

3 : 14.

It didn't look good for anyone of us, but if we were going to go out this hot day-

God damnit- we were going to go out with a bang.

Full badass mode, activated!

"Fuck!" I scream out, as a laser beam just misses my midnight combat boots. I let out a grunt and keep up the firing.

Eventually, I take out my third drac, which topples over onto another, startling him. I quickly give him a righteous head shot. But hey, I ain't through- I run up to the cold blooded corpses and snag their guns. One pearly white ray gun I tuck into one of my layered belts, and the other joins me in my rapid fire.

I'm so busy killing the motherfuckers, I didn't bother checking on the team-mates to my right.

But hell, am I ever reminded of them as a blood curling scream erupts through the blood stained desert.

I look over, and I see blood. Lots of it. The thick red hue hurts my eyes. But tangled with the blood is a crumpled figure. But I know he's alive, because of the constant curses escaping his full lips.

"KOBRA KID!" I screech, running his way and dropping to my knees. Fun Ghoul looks over worriedly, but continues shooting.

"Kobra, Kobra, are you okay? Can you hear me?" I yell, shaking him gently.

The blonde man's eyebrows knit together. "Yes, I can, and you are unnecessarily loud. Kindly shut the fuck up and _help_ me!" He growls, wincing from the pain. I notice his large, blistered hand clamping down on his upper right arm, and I carefully remove it.

I gasp. Underneath his hand it burnt skin and leather, and a whole shit load of burgundy blood. I close my eyes, a migraine starting to form from the large amount of bright color. I look up at him.

"It's gonna be f-fine…" I tell him, but really- I'm the one in need of reassurance.

I fumble through his pockets, looking for his walkie talkie amongst the other shit, but am interrupted by Frank's worried tone.

"Spark, a little help?" He cries out, as the dracs begin to overwhelm him. I get an idea. We were low on time, high on dracs.

I sprint out to the car and practically rip off the driver side door. I open the center console, and there lies the solution to all of our problems.

A singe hand grenade.

After the big boom, few were willing to make them, so they came rarely. This was an emergencies only piece of equipment, but if Kobra was left without medical attention for much longer, the consequences could be fatal.

It's slow motion again as I race towards the crime scene once more. "Ghoul! Move! Shield Kobra!" I call out, running as fast as my short legs can take me. He looks confused, but then sees what I'm holding, and a look of terror quickly spreads across his face.

I stop a few dozen feet away from the enemies, pull the pin, and fling into the crowd of deadly, stupid Draculoids.

It was right out of Rush Hour 3, as I ran from the explosion, attempting to shield Kobra Kid with my own battered body. Their car alarms go off, and when I dare to look again, all I see are bodies. No one was left standing.

We sit there for a few seconds, just quietly laughing to ourselves, watching the car-fires slowly decrease to nothingness, until a groan snaps us back into painful reality.

"It's fine, I radioed in Party and the rest of them, they'll be here any minute now. This is gonna be okay…" Frank says, but to me, he sounds unsure. I don't think Mikey hears it though, because he nods, a single tear rolling down his beautiful, injured face.

We all sit quietly in the main room, thinking the worst. It was like being in a waiting room waiting to hear if your cousin-in-law thrice removed's baby had come out okay… Or with down syndrome. Or something.

I was sitting between Cherri Cola and Frank, with Ray to my far left. Frank and I had our hands tightly clasped between us, sitting on the torn couch. We had originally all been in one of the rooms, panicking as Show Pony and Doctor D tried to fix him up, but had all been kicked out, due to stress, noise level, and just plain annoyance. So we sat outside the door, ears to the wood, waiting to hear the news, but none came. So we moved to the much comfier couch.

I sigh.

"What are you thinking about?" Frank asks me, rubbing my hand affectionately.

I tuck my hair behind my ear. "Mikey." I sigh again.

"…Me too."

It's silent again, until I break the silence. It startles the group of killjoys.

"This is all my fault!" I cry out, glad to get it out of my system. Ray and Cherri exchange confused glances, while Frank shakes his head defiantly.

"No way, Ivory. None of it is. It's Korse's- Always has been, and it always will be. Don't blame yourself for anything... And even if it was your fault, it's just as much ours for not hearing the motors sooner." He says to me, worry aging his brow.

I shake my head, and choke on unshed tears. "I can't help it. If I had just been able to _see _those cars, he would have been fine. _We_ would have been fine. Can't you see that?" I tell him, staring him dead in those hazel irises.

I sniffle, but refuse to cry. It was all my fault, yes, but I didn't need to whine about it. No, it was not my place to bring them down, make them feel sorry for poor ol' Sparx Fire.

Frank sighs and runs a hand through his dark hair. "Sparx, please. Despite what you think, every bad thing that comes our way isn't your fault." He says to me quietly. I try to speak up but he cuts me off with that low voice I've fallen so hard for. "Right now, we're all wishing for the best- Him coming out unscarred from all this. Please, stop feeling sorry for yourself, as there is no need to." He looks me in the eyes again, and I note the emotions swimming in them.

"No offense."

"None taken…" I let go of his hand and clasp my own together, and close my eyes.

I pray, to the gods- whether they are there or not- That he'll be fine. And that if he isn't, I am able to hunt that evil Korse down and make him suffer.

It's not long after that that Party Poison steps into the room, quietly shutting the door behind him. He looks tired.

"Hey, guys…" He says in a hushed voice. "That's a pretty wound he has there. But it's gonna be okay, we've got him on some medication for now, and did what we could." Gerard sighs and walks over to us, sitting on the couch to the opposite of ours.

"We…" He starts. It's silent for a few seconds, as if he's thinking about the words about to come out of his mouth. "…Might have done a bad thing."

Glances are exchanged.

"We gave him one of the BL/i pills. As a painkiller, you know? He won't get hooked…" He pauses again, thinking. "…Or to our knowledge. All we can do is hope."

"It seems to have worked. He was smiling back at us, telling us he was fine before he fell asleep. Mother fucker, acting brave for us." He chuckles sadly.

None of us have seen him like this. Sure, Kobra wasn't on the edge of death or anything… But he was hurt. And that weakened his brother as well- but also made him stronger, more focused on the destruction of BL/i.

He walks outside, and soon Show Pony comes out, trying to talk him out of doing something crazy, but all I can see are arm gestures through to window. Gerard shakes his head a few times, then walks out to his car, MouseKat head in hand, and drives away.

Later that night, I sit on my mattress, tracing the illustrations of a page of a story book I had found years ago, forgotten in the red sand, and kept ever since. I hear foot steps approach me.

Frank startles me, as he lays his hand on mine. It's quiet for a while, awkward, even.

I look him in his soulful eyes, minutes later, my own sparkling with genuine concern.

"What if it gets worse?" I whisper to him, and he leans closer.

"It won't, Ive. I know it won't." He smiles at me, and I can feel his minty breath on my face.

I lean in, giving him a quick peck, and place my head on his shoulder. I slowly put down the book and take his hand in mine.

We fall back onto the thin mattress, and fade into the night like blackbirds.

**HI GAIZZZZ. 33 Whaddya think? Was it fabulous? Amazing? Shitty? Lemme know, R&R, R&R, R&R~~! **

**Heh heh. I just re-read it and realized the end sounded kind of naughty. No, they did not have some awesome sexual momento behind the scenes.**

**Pssht. **

**You guys wish. xD**


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N**

**I don't own anything. Seriously. I don't.**

**Hey hey, peepluz, BetterLivingIndustries and I made a killjoy smiley face! :D**

**Looks like this-**

**(:D)-+-,**

**I'm not sure if all of the symbols will show up, but if not, it's fucking awesome, and you gotsta take my word for that.**

**Seriousleh.**

Sometimes I miss waking up to the sound of the birds, chirping up to the spring sky. Waking up to the warm beams of sun peeking through my lacy curtains onto my pale face.

But waking up in the arms of someone you feel stronger for each passing day makes up for the lack of singing sparrows. Because it's _you _that's singin' here.

I open my red eyes and glance to my right. Frank is lying on the mattress sideways, facing me. His face is calm, and he looks so young, so innocent, just lying there. I want to reach out and pinch his chubby cheeks.

I remember years ago, waking up to the same thing, but with someone else. His name was Chris. He was the first man I had ever loved, and _man_, had we been a kick-ass duo. The day he was ghosted is still imprinted in my memory, painful and sharp.

I shake off the tear stained memories and focus on where I am right now. The night before- Frank and I had just fallen asleep. I don't know how or why we ended up on my bed, but… We did. I didn't sleep with him- No, I would have to be extremely drunk to do that-, but just _slept. _Was that weird? Sharing a bed with a gorgeous man you have feelings for, and not getting laid?

Fuck that shit.

I stand up, careful not to wake Sleeping Beauty over there, and walk into the main room. Everyone is up and walking about, even Mikey, sitting on the couch, drinking a steaming cup of coffee.

Gerard turns to me and smiles. "Hey there, sleeping beauty." He laughs, taking a sip of his own cup.

I shake my head and walk across the room to pour myself some breakfast-in-a-cup. "Nah. That's Frank. He's fucking adorable when he sleeps, did you know that?" I muse, giggling along.

Mikey rolls his eyes in my direction. "You would know." He jokes, giving me a playful wink. I bat at his head in response.

"I will have you know," I tell him snootily, "That Frankfurt and I merely slept. We did not have a whorefest like I'm sure you imagined we did." I grin at him, mocking him with another cheesy wink.

"Cheeky girl." He says flatly, closing his eyes to savour the weak brew.

I look down at the warm mug. "Who got the coffee, anyway?" I ask anyone who cares.

Show Pony, who's across the room, pasting on some fun decals to his already extremely colourful ray gun, replies to my question. "While you were snoozing away with lover boy Frankie, Party and I went on a raid. Got coffee, cigarettes, some food and a few magazines."

"Shweeet!" I grin at the boys and skip happily over to Gerard, who's pouring himself a cup of the sweet caffeine. I snatch the full cup in his hands as he attempts to take a wary sip, and once again prance across the room, this time sitting down with my stolen cup of coffee.

I sink into the leather couch and close my eyes as the stimulant slid down my throat. "Good joe. Thanks, Gee." I smile at him cheekily, and he guards his new cup with a blistered hand.

"You could have asked nicely."

"I'm not a nice person."

"I've noticed." He chuckles, giving my hair a cute ruffle.

The room chatters for a few more minutes, until I set down the damaged mug with a loud _chunk. _

"So, ladies and gentlemen," I clear my throat, blowing at a strand of untameable hair. "What's the plan for this fine day?"

Party Poison speaks up, as the leader. "If you're asking what you can do," He pauses, thinking. "There's always dishes, patrol, kitchen work, and mapping and planning with Doctor D and I." He offers.

I shrug. "Gimme what you think is best."

"Bitch, get in the kitchen."

Well. Here's a moment of thought.

I am extremely against sexism. We females can do everything just as well if not better, but still are only 'allowed' to do half as much! I didn't get it. And as for those sammich jokes? Last motherfucker who said that ended up 'disappearing'. Total mystery. I thought it was fucked up, cruel, sexist and every other bad word that comes to mind. I told Gerard as much.

"Kidding, kidding!" He laughs loudly, and _nervously, _I may say, as he backs away from the death glare I'm giving him. "But really, some help would be really nice. It's Mikey's turn, but until his arm is back to normal, I don't want him using it much. We even got groceries for ya, Ivory."

Sighing, I make my way to the kitchen, grabbing a tattered apron from the tableside. "I'll do it, but only because you all cook like middle aged bachelors. Like, no can opener, no meal."

He shrugs it off and people get to work.

I click on the stove and on goes a greasy, bent and dented pot purchased from none other than good ol' scam artist Tommy Chow Mein. In goes water, some stock, and random packaged vegetables stolen by our good men. The broth soon turns to soup, and when no one's looking I sneak in something my European mother had taught me years ago.

"_Honey, it's an egg drop noodle, not rabid foam." She says, with a roll of her amber eyes. I poke at it with my spoon, and cringe. _

"_Mommmm,"I whine. "It looks like bird poo-poo!" I tell her, smacking down the spoon onto the table. It bounces and knocks over a napkin dispenser._

_She comes and sits next to me, placing her dainty white hand over my own. "Try it." She grinned at me. "Your grandmother always put these into my own soup. It's pretty much just egg, whisked into perfection. You just put it in the soup, like, PLOP! And it eventually cooks and makes these yummy noodles."_

_I gasp. "YOUR mom made these too? But did eggs exist back then?" I ask curiously, slowly raising a new spoon to my mouth. The broth was salty- but not too salty- and sweet at the same time. The noodles… If you could call them noodles, didn't have much flavour, but added a delicate texture._

_She looks at me oddly. "What do you mean, back then? And of course they did, you silly goose!"_

_I shrug, taking another bite, savouring every last colourful flavour. "Jeffey in Ms. Howey's class tol' me chickens were invented in the 1700's. He knows everything."_

"_I'm the only one who knows everything," Mom winks at me, as she fades back into the kitchen, until she isn't there, sitting and joking me anymore._

_Just like she had faded from my memory._

I shiver as the picture of my mother departed from my head. I stir in the noodles I had made while reminiscing, and the smell of carrots and celery flood into my nostrils as I open the metallic lid. I'm sure the others can smell it, too, because they start sniffing around too.

I smile. Nothing better than a good soup to cheer you up.

But hands on my waist startle me, and I whip my head around quickly, and almost decapitate Fun Ghoul with a ladle.

"Oh. Frank." I chuckle, giving him a quick kiss on his lips. They curl up into a cheery smile. "How long have you been awake for?"

He yawns, and that answers my question. "Not long. I appreciate you not waking me up, though. Haven't slept that well in a while." Frank smiles down at me, his eyes teary from just waking minutes ago.

"What are you making?" He asks me, peering over my shoulder. I quickly clamp my hands over his sight, making him step back a bit in surprise.

"Don't look!" I squeal. "A true cook _never _lets anyone see her dishes before she's done."

"Isn't that an artist?"

"Either way. Want a taste?"

"If I can eat it through your mouth."

"Don't make me puke in this epic substance. Say, 'aaah.'"

He does, indeed, say aaah, and I shovel a spoonful of the hot soup into his mouth.

"Hmmm," He ponders, and then opens his eyes and gives me his trademark mischievous grin. "Is it soup?"

I fake shock. "How did you know?" I gasp, moving the pot to an inactive burner. It was done.

"Eh, kind of runny for roast beef. So I went with soup."

"You're a wise man."

"I get that a lot, you know."

I chuckle, and bring out all of the bowls and cups we had. Luckily we had just enough for all of us.

"Guys? Soup's done like dinner!" I yell, handing Frank a few bowls and spoons to carry over to the table.

All of the inhabitants of the diner come running, and wheeling, of course, at top speed, not wanting to get there and have it gone. They're immediately sitting down in the booths, chattering away about who knows- and really, who cares?

Bowls, spoons, and cups go around, and then finally, being the cool guy he is, Ray goes around spooning people soup. It makes me smile to know people enjoy what I made.

But, as I scan through the people, I noticd one missing.

Where was Mikey?

I frown. It doesn't seem right we're all here eating without him, so I wander out of the room and into the other rooms.

I assumed he was under patrol, until I hear the shuffling of a box in Doctor D's cave. I press my ear against the door, and hear something shaking, like a box of Tic Tacs, or even bottle of pills.

Pills…

I rip open the door, ray gun safety off, pointed at the man in front of me. And there is what I expect to see least.

Kobra Kid, standing in the middle of the room, holding an open bottle of BL/i pills and a glass of water, in the middle of swallowing a few. His eyes hold no emotion- not regret, not shame, not even love.

And all we both have to say, is…

"Crap."

**Sorry for taking so long. . I HATH BEEN BUSY! Anywho. Review! Whaddya think? :]**


	11. Chapter 10

**I don't own shit. Yada yada yada.**

**Guys, I'm so sorry about the lack of updates. Some stuff has happened, leaving me in a state of blank-minded suckishness. But remember, I'm here! I haven't given up.**

**The tale of Sparx Fire is not yet fini. **

**So DEAL with it.**

**ON WITH THE STORY.**

"Mikey…" I cautiously approach him, ray gun still in hand, He doesn't back away, but holds my wary glance. "What are you doing with those?"

He blinks at me, as if I'm dumb. He doesn't hesitate in answering. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm taking medication."

I shake my head, and reach for the transparent canister. "Those aren't good, and you know that. I would rather it be fucking ecstasy rather than those BL/i pills in your hand right now, and you _also _know that." I yanks it out of my reach once again, and I find myself jumping for it. He immediately shoves me out of the way and backs up a few feet.

"Mikey, what the fuck are you taking those for? Are you turning against us? BL/i is bad. Bad news. Lodge that in your cranium."

He gives me another odd look. "Yeah, it's bad. I was raised with that view on them. But these pills double as pain killers, and this arm is a mother fucker." He gestures towards his shoulder with his chin.

I silently take note that he pointed to the wrong shoulder.

"Mikey," I gasp, reaching towards him pleadingly. "Just don't… Just, please don't leave us. Don't get attached to the enemy. They will play you." I tell him, and he glares down at me.

"I'm not turning over to the dark side any time soon, Sparx Fire." He says coldly, and steps past me, to the door. His hand hesitates over the handle, and doesn't face me for a few unbearably silent seconds.

"You know me better then that.

How long had it been since he left? I was cowering in the corner of the dimly lit room, clenching my knees so hard my knuckles were a ghostly white. My breathing was so bad, "ragged" couldn't even cut it.

Bite my lip, close my eyes, shift in and out of mental stability.

I was having a panic attack.

What if he became addicted? He denied it casually, but was kind of peeved at me entering the room, interrupting him.

But interrupting what?

His cold glare continued to penetrate my mind. I felt like my heart would be ripped out of my chest.

If he became addicted… The team. We would be ruined. Party Poison smashed, suicidal, defeated. Not saying the rest wouldn't be as hurt, but, goddamnit, sometimes I felt like Party and Kobra were just _one _person. Twins.

My head _thunks _against the shelf behind me, and I let out a few deep breaths. "I'm overreacting," I state to myself, but my voice seems to be nothing but a whimper. A reassuring, motherly whimper. _I'm aging myself with this shit. _

I stand up, and pins and needles erupt all over the lower half of my body, and they graying room shakes as a head rush greets me with a head on _bang. _I make it to the door. Light floods into my melancholy sight.

I silently hobble uncomfortably into the kitchen, to see all of my killjoy friends wolfing down bowl after bowl of the dinner I had made. A prideful pang takes over my heart for a split second, but is soon replaced by the usual freak-out feeling Mikey had given me.

Jet leans back in his chair, breathing out, a look of sheer joy on his face. He holds his stomach as if he was fearing spontaneous combustion. The rest of them continue to pig on the soup.

Mikey pokes his around, before pushing it over to Ghoul. None of the other guys seem to care that he isn't eating much, because they're too busy themselves fighting for his share.

A few minutes pass like this, everyone around the table laughing, talking and eating, before Ghoul looks up and motions to me. I strut over like the klutz I am and take a seat on his lap. He pushes the empty bowl away and kisses my neck happily. Warm feelings invade my twine-stitched heart.

"Where were you while we were eating?" He asks me quietly, so no one else hears. I sink deeper into his arms, relaxing.

"Out for a smoke," I lie quickly. He nods and reaches for his pocket.

"Speaking of, I'm going die without my nicotine, so if you'll excuse me…"

"No, Frankie, can I come with you?" I ask him, and I think he notes the slight plead in my voice. I felt like a kid again, a tag-a-log to mommy, never wanting to leave the side of my most beloved one.

A warm grin appears on his face, and we stand up and head for the door. The guys are too preoccupied with the usual topics of food and lust to notice our departure.

And then we're sitting on the hood of the trusty Trans-Am, cigarette smoke tainting out innocence, and it all spills out.

My lip is in bad condition, it bleeds from all of the nervous biting I've been doing. I quickly tuck my hair behind my ear. "Ghoul," I start, we were outside, it wasn't safe to use real names. "What if Mikey got hooked on those apparent pain killers?" I fire rapidly. I was worried he wouldn't be able to understand what I had said at motorboat speed.

Frank blinks in confusion. "Uh, what?" He chuckles. "Nah, don't be paranoid. He won't." shaking his head, he takes a long drag.

"But what is he _does?_"

"He won't."

"It's rhetorical."

"I don't do rhetorical, Spark, it either happens or it doesn't."

"Okay, well, let's just _say _it does…"

"But it doesn't."

"How do you know?"

He pauses, tapping the stick against the hood, and watches as the ash falls down to the ground, forgotten as it mingles with the dust. Finally he turns his gorgeous hazel gaze to match my own, and stares for a few seconds.

"it just… Doesn't. I know that."

And then it's silent.

Memories, predictions, thoughts throttle through my head. I want to tell him what I saw. What I _know. _But either he doesn't believe me, or confronts Mikey. And then he wouldn't be very pleased on me.

I'm no tattle.

I keep my mouth shut, and the silence becomes deafening.

**Grace POV**

I run down the sterile-white halls, my sharp hazels on the lookout for any dracs on patrol. Finally, a lone, white masked figure comes into view. He raises his gun, but sees I'm just a child, and it is quickly lowered.

"Excuse me, girl, what are you doing out of your cell?" He says harshly, and I put on my baby face.

Gone is the maturity, and the face of a true ten year old replaces it. I pace on spot. "I-I, I gotta goooo, mister!" I squeal, squeezing my knuckles together.

The idiotic creature seems to forget underneath the childish body, I am mature, I am dangerous. I'm not just a kid. I grew up in the fucking zones, and am as good in combat as any single one of the celled killjoys down the winding halls. He bends down, and something shines in those eyes. Love? Sadness? The emotion was whisked away before I could recognize it.

I reach out with a fist, and then he's on the floor, blood staining the floor, erupting from my hand and his nose. I curse out loud, shaking away the sharp pain leaking from my knuckles. I pull out from my backpack a large bottle of liquor, stolen from another slave, of course, and think strategically.

I spill some into his mouth, careful not to allow him to drown in his unconscious state, and dribble some on his shirt like a baby, mocking him. No one underestimates Gracie.

I sprinkle some around him, until the Bacardi leaks into my nose. I cringe and the smell, but keep going, framing the poor man.

Soon, his fingers are wrapped around the empty bottle, and I sniff the air around him. I had done well.

One more thing, though. I yank out his ray gun and extra battery packs, shove the items down my shirt, and quickly flee back into the white maze. I lock myself back into my cell and collapse into the bed.

Back to acting innocent, back to pretending to be nothing but a little girl who knew nothing in self defence, in combat, back to pretending I was helpless.

As I lay curled up in a ball on my "bed", I smirked to myself.

Back to pretending I wasn't finding a way out of this shithole.


	12. Chapter 11

**Hey guys. I just re-re-re read last chapter, and noticed a shit load of typos and stuff. And it was unbearably short. And it felt… Eh.**

**That, in my mind, was one of the worst chapters I've ever done. But whatever, just have to make this one double the epic.**

**Oh yeah, and double the… longness. Prepare for super chaperitõ PLOT POINT. Limited edition. Read while you can.**

**Nah. JK. I'm not taking it down.**

**But srsly, read it. Now.**

**.Ri**

**Grace POV**

"What was he thinking?"

The familiar clicking of the black BL/I shoes comes into my hearing range. It comes closer.

"I've no idea myself. I mean, go ahead, drink to your hearts content, but passing out afterwards? And while on _duty?_"

"Poor Marcus. He's no longer with us…"

"Don't say it like he's dead!" The second one says. "He was just rehabilitated, to be shot down by own of the colourful scum."

Now they're close to my cell, I can hear them. I sit on the graying, scuffed floor of my own little prison. Around me are a few children's toy this mean asian lady had given me, which are really too basic for my likes. One of them, though, I've taken a liking to. It was a bit shorter then a foot tall, made out of a tough plastic, painted to resemble a robot. I thought of it as my only true friend.

Me, friends with a piece of plastic. That's almost as insane as me being friends with that icky girl Sparx Fire… This place was driving me crazy.

I quickly tune back into the conversation between the two agents.

"I heard he was found with no mask or clothes." One of them says.

"Thought it was just the blaster?"

"No, I'm sure there was no shirt."

I silently snigger. Who knew even in jails like this one, rumours were spread? And exaggerated like so.

I guess my being silent didn't work out as well as I thought, because the footsteps ceased, along with the conversation.

"'Ey kid," One says. I can smell his icky breath. "What's so funny?"

I enlarge my eyes in fake fear and pick up the robot and a stuffed dog about the size of my fist. "Nothing,I squeak. "Just a tea party." I set the dog back down to line up with some of the other mundane toys.

They pause, seeming to think about it, before continuing to walk on. The topic changes to me, but I don't bother listening. I already know it's about my living conditions. Hey, some of them liked kids.

"Glow, baby! You okay over there?"

I hear a groggy voice call out from my right.

"Vocal Vendetta?" I grin at the familiar voice.

"Who else?" Her thick NY accent washes over me with relief. I had met "Vocal Vendetta" weeks ago, and she was the closest thing to a best friend in this hell. I loved everything about her, from her accent, to her wavy fluorescent green hair. I don't know _how _she managed to dye it in a place like this, but something about her hair reminded me of a neon green food coloring. Her real name was Maggie, she had whispered it into my ear one day, as we attempted to force lumpy gray mashed potatoes into our systems.

"What did the goons want?"

I shrug, before giggling. She couldn't see me… "I was giggling at their convo. They were talking about that one Draculoid, you know, how he got wasted and crashed out in the hall." I'm laughing the whole way through. She and her roommate were the only ones I had told about my deed.

She cackled with me. "Oh, that's too much. Well, G," I can practically _see _the wink she would usually give me after using her nickname for me. G, as in Glow, and as in Gracie. But we couldn't use our real names, so G it was. "Let's talk face to face during mealtimes, okay?"

I smile and press my tanned hand to the wall. "Yeah. I'm looking forward to it."

Her voice softens. "You know, Glow, I'm always just on the other side of this here wall." She knocks twice. "So if you need anything…"

"…Don't be afraid to say anything, yeah yeah, you tell me everyday. Vivi, you're the best."

"I know."

We both laugh girlishly, but are _rudely_ interrupted by a certain cell mate of hers.

Chris, or otherwise known as Minute Missile, growls from what sounds like underneath a thin blanket.

"Best, schmest, I need my beauty sleep. Can't you guys learn _sign language _or something?"

I roll my eyes. He was grouchy in the mornings, but when he'd had his sleep, he was a fun, sweet guy, and I loved him to death. Sometimes he spoke of a woman he had lost when he was captured, but usually we avoided the subject. He shut up for hours, just thinking, twirling a plastic bloodstained rose he hung from his belt.

"Wake up, it's like…" I check my watch. "Fuck, screw that, battery's dead." I frown down at it. It was pretty much, other then those two, what kept me sane. "Just wake up anyway."

I can hear him sigh as he shrugs himself out of bed.

"Mornin'."

"Morning…"

I hear from on the other side.

They partake in a quiet, boring sounding conversation, so I get comfortable in my "bed", and stare at the ceiling for a while. My frizzy brown hair pools around my round face.

I had been there for 2 and a half weeks. I had counted each day. On the first day, when I was forced into my room, I had put up a fight. Chris, next cell over with Maggie had come to my aid, attempting to beat the shit out of him with me. They were lucky they hadn't been rehabilitated, but stupid baldy still had information that he wanted out of them.

Chris… He had been there for over a year. He says he'd lost count long ago, but at _least _a year and a half. Or something.

Maggie was taken in two months ago. Each of them are role models to me, brought in, and haven't said a _word _of top secret information to the bad guys. No matter how many punches they threw, how many laser guns pointed at their foreheads, they stayed quiet. My eyes twinkle just thinking of their bravery.

But soon a wave of sorrow crashes over me, making me shiver.

But, no matter how much I love my two friends here, I miss my guys. My Jet, Kobra, Ghoul, Party… The rest of them. My eyes squeeze shut. I won't cry. I can't…

Cry.

Tears pour out, but I remain silent. I don't want anyone thinking I'm a wimp. _Although, I really am._

This is the first time I've really absorbed it all.

What if they've given up on me? What if they don't want me? What if I never, ever see them again…?

I shake the thoughts out of my mind.

They would never do that.

They'll come for me.

I know they will. They love me. They said so themselves.

And who in their right mind leaves a fellow killjoy behind?

I wasn't going to rot in here forever. If they didn't come to me…

I stroke the ray gun I had successfully stolen possessively.

I'd come to them.

**Ivory POV**

I wake up in a cold sweat. My blue hair is plastered to my forehead, and my eyes frantically search the room.

I lower my defences and stumble upwards, stepping over what used to be her bed…

No.

It still is.

My nightmare… It's all hazy now, I don't remember. All I remember is Grace. Going in to rescue her and… I had waited in the van with the rest of them. And all of them… Sprawled out. Dead.

That wasn't going to happen, we'd live happily ever after after Gracie was back.

Oh god, I may hate the shit out of the brat, but I kind of miss her provokes.

The wooden boards creak under my light step, and I squint as the chain of a light is pulled.

_Cch-ck._

I turn around, to see Gerard staring me down.

"You're awake." He whispers. Looking him up and down, I realize he's in his t-shirt, and boxers. I laughed internally at this.

"Yeah. So are you."

We stand in silence for many awkward seconds, before he speaks up.

"Couldn't you sleep?"

"…I had a nightmare."

"Nightmares aren't real. Remember that."

"This one could very well be." I choke out, and he approaches me quietly and carefully… And then more forcefully, as he pulls me into a bear hug.

My heart skips a beat at his warm embrace.

"Tell Gee all about it."

..

We sit on the couch, steaming cups of coffee in hand. He listens attentively, nodding at each of my questions.

"You're a good listener." My voice cracks half way through as I hold the tears back. Really, the dream was scary. Not the dream itself, but the reality. The mission was suicidal. If we got there, they would just knock us all down again. Wouldn't they? And if we did manage to-

"Ivory." His hard voice interrupts the mayhem running free in my mind. "Calm down. We're gettingher back, no matter what. And we are _coming_ back, no matter what!"

His words seem to snap me out of mass hysteria.

"How do you know that for sure?" I ask him, doubt in my voice.

Gerard wasn't fazed, though. No. He sounded confident as he placed his hand over mine. "I know this for sure, because the good guys always win, don't they?" A cocky grin was plastered on his gorgeous face, his soft lips.

His lips…

They looked so kissable, but I resisted the temptation of molesting his gorgeous mouth. No, Frank liked me. I liked Frank. Yeah.

"Don't you believe in justice?" He snickers at me. I scoff back and roll my big eyes.

"You're too confident…" I laugh.

He sticks out his tongue immaturely. "Hey, better cocky than insecure."

"Who says that?" I laugh, spilling a few drops of my rich brown coffee.

"Hmm. I do." And with that he takes my empty hand, stands up, and pulls me back to the bedroom.

I yawn. "Woah, Gee, how about dinner and a movie first?" I chuckle as he sits me down on the lumpy surface they called a mattress. He gives me and eye roll, and tucks me in, just like a mother would do.

"Just sleep, Ivory." Gerard whispers to me, and our eyes catch. My red, his hazel, mingling in the awkward silence. I feel myself plunging into his soul, feeling his sorrow, his love for all of his friends and family long ago departed…

He breaks the unbreakable trance, and kisses my forehead. His lips hover there for a second, until he pulls away and saunters quietly over to the door frame.

He turns around and smiles at me. "Night, you. If you aren't asleep in five, I'm waking you up early for Gerard's special before-sunrise morning patrol."

A wink, a grin, and he's out.

And then I'm out.

Like a light.

Morning hits me like a missile. The unfriendly sunlight beats onto my forehead, greeting me with a nauseating punch.

"FUCK YOU!" I scream, pulling the thin, tattered blanker over my head.

I hear jogging footsteps over to the wide open door, and glare up at the handsome, chiselled features that belong to Mikey.

"You getting raped or something?" He gives me a look, leaning against the frame. I secretly wish him to lose his balance and topple to the dusty floorboards.

"The sun…" I growl, and flip over so my back is to the cracked window. "It's deliberately trying to wake me up really early. Nature is out to get me, Michael. I'm telling you."

"It's not early."

"isn't it?"

"No," I peek out from my Batman_(Yeah, you heard me. I had to trade my spare holster and some gum for it.) _covers to see him check a dusty watch. "It's like, twelve."

What?

Twelve?

"PM?" I gasp, before throwing myself out of bed. I ignore the headrush and pins and needles greeting my feet, and stumble into the living room. The boys, lazing on the couch all look up with alarming looks on their battle-worn faces.

"She's alive!" Frank laughs at me, scooting over a foot and a half to give me room to sit.

Ray chuckles along with him. "Seriously. Sleep in much?"

I roll my eyes at them and take a seat on the arm of the chair. Frank looks up at me at frowns.

No. I'm not smiling like usually. Last night's nightmare still haunted me more than ever. Finally, I keel over. But there are no tears, I will never, _ever_ let my tears surface. I place my head on my knees and weep silently. Hard.

"_I-I… I miss Grace." _

The pale, balded man paced around his monotone office space, knocking over anything that caught his eye.

Within minutes the office was trashed, and his expression as cloudy and hateful as ever.

"Sir-" A draculoid came barrelling in the room, jogging in rudely. His sentence was silenced by a thin beam of radiation to the head.

"KNOCK!" Korse screamed, holstering weapon. He glanced back to the warm corpse, sneering. He felt no remorse, no regret, no sadness for that human being. All his emotion had been washed away many years ago.

He pressed the intercom button and growled into a black, dusty speaker.

"Clean up on isle fucking three." Korse muttered, and straightened his posture immediately as the familiar noise of plain black pumps came into ear shot. He knew the slender and dainty body they belonged to well. He knew her long black hair fell just above her shoulders, how her arms crossed across her chest. But most of all, he knew the angry glare she gave him 95% of the time they _did _make eye contact.

"What is this?" He heard her sharp, angry voice clear cut across the room. To be truthful, she scared him.

Spinning around, he looked down at the dead draculoid being dragged away by two other workers, which she was pointing at.

"He pissed me off." He grumbled, looking away out the window.

"I don't have time for your stupidity." She stated loudly. "You, I, and many draculoid patrols are going to head down Guano in 10 minutes. We are doing what we should have down 7 years ago."

He opened his thin lips to protest, but she cut him off quickly. She waved a clean chrome panel, the size of a remote. Her pale finger hovered over a small red button.

"Or you can consider yourself deactivated, Korse." They held each other's loathsome gazes for two seconds, before she turned and strutted out.

He sighed, grabbing a jacket and hurrying out the gray, metal doors after her.

"Wait, crazy lady!" He yelled. She didn't wait up, not that he expected her to.

Within minutes, they were seated inside of a large black limo-ish vehicle, traveling at 120 miles per hour. 3 draculoid cars were in front, and 3 in back, for security.

The zones whizzed by, until they were stopped in front of a building oh-so familiar to him. He breathed in the scent of cigarettes and sweat.

He confidently strode up to the door of the diner. With each step, a new word popped up in his hate filled head.

Step. _Hatred._ Look at what they've done? Killed so many workers of his, ruined so many plans. And look what it's costing them.

Step. _Jealousy._ A hint of himself wanted freedom. But he knew he'd never have it. Never.

Step, this one harder then the rest. _Perfection._

Because his monotone, black scale world was perfect. Everyone was happy, everyone was fed, no one spoke up, and those who did disappeared quickly. Never was there depression, was there economic plunges, and the only war that was being fought was the one the stupid, stupid _killjoys _kept rioting up to the surface of his perfection. Blemishing it. Making him pointless, worthless.

He needed perfection. Because it was what made the world go round.

And then he was at the melancholy door frame, cocking his weapon of choice, and kicking to door in. Everyone turned in a panic, to see him and the army of armed draculoids behind. They didn't move. They knew what was best.

Because, he… He was god. He Himself, was the one born to rule this world. To make it spin the way it should.

Perfectly.

Because sometimes, you needed to destroy something beautiful to make it perfect.

"_I-I… I miss Grace…"_ I cry out. And then,

It's slow motion. The floor is flung open, and dracs and Korse file in quickly, ray guns in hands.

"You'll see her soon enough," He sneers. With on motion of the hand, the goons flood in and grab us all. In addition to my shorts and tank top, a stylish pair of metal handcuffs are shoved onto my bony wrists, the drac shoves my down, holding my arm in a painful hold as I scream out in utter agony. He chuckles coldly.

I look across at Frank as he is dragged into a car. His eyes are pleading me, _begging _me, to not say anything. Because this could be the end, and if it was, we were going down in silence. Our deadly secrets would be taken to the grave.

I give him one last look of sadness before I clench my eyes shut. Two dracs drac me into a separate cars from any of the others, and my head hits the rim of the roof on my way in.

A flush of unexpected color.

And then it's black.

_Swirls._

_What…? Where am I?_

_I open my eyes to the brightest colors I've seen since innocent childhood. Swirling colors were everywhere. I myself was in a gorgeous lavender Cinderella-esque gown, wearing satiny gloves hitched to my elbows. My long brown- Wait, my hair was brown again? Trippy.- hair is tied up in an elegant royal knot._

_I stand and check out my surroundings._

_First thing I do is strip off the gloves. Too girly._

_And to my surprise, A handsome man walks into the room. A grin is placed on his fair skin, and he hands me a plastic rose. His face… It was…_

"_Chris…" I gasp out, reaching for him._

_But I'm paralyzed, I can't move. Arms plastered to my sides, grin turned up. The gloves, I notice, are back on. I feel like a Barbie doll, all picture perfect for no damn reason._

_I look at him, pleading for him to take me into his arms one last time. But he merely smiles again and drops the rose and my feet._

_Then another figure walks in, this time his hair long and black. His striking hazel have me as he walks in. He's wearing the same formal attire, tuxedo, black tie, but his jacket is casually draped over one shoulder. He approaches me, and grabs my hand. _

_I feel myself melt for a second, enough time to whisper, "Frank…"_

_He nods and steps back a bit, grinning cockily at Chris._

_Finally, I can move again. I flex my fingers joyfully._

"_I love you," I cry out, but they're gone as soon as they came._

"_I love you, can't you hear me?" And now I'm screaming, begging for them to hear me._

"_I love you… Both of you, please, please, come back, I want you…" I sob. "I need you…"_

_I look down, and the bottom of my expensive dress is soaked in a red liquid. It reeks of death. It seems to pool at my knees, and creep up until it reaches my waist and sash._

_I cry. I do. Louder and more painfully then ever before._

"_What is there left to say?" I scream. _

_And then I'm swallowed by blood, taken to a place where even the loudest screams can't be heard._

**Holy fuck, this was long, wasn't it? Longest I've ever written, but I'm glad I did. I had a lot to say, and I felt like I made up the shittyness of the last chapter.**

**Anywho, thanks for reading or something. Remember, more is to come…**

**BUT ONLY IF YOU REVIEW. So come on, take 12 seconds to type me up an encouraging word or so.**

**I love ya guys, you should know that by now. You give me my insanity. ;]**


	13. Chapter 12

**THANKS FOR ALL OF THE SMEXXI REVIEWS FOR LAST CHAP!**

**Onwards.**

I open my eyes. I see white. Plain, boring white. And then it all flashes back.

_With one motion of his hand, the goons flood in and grab us all. In addition to my shorts and tank top, a stylish pair of metal handcuffs are shoved onto my bony wrists, the drac shoves my down, holding my arm in a painful hold as I scream out in utter agony. He chuckles coldly._

I hold back my cries and jerk upwards. To my right I see an empty cot. The hallways buzz quietly, and I hear someone walk by.

My head is resting on my knees, has panicy breaths overwhelm me. Where were the rest of us? We were a team, we went down together.

I take another cautious look around. Nope, no other people.

No…

_I look across at Frank as he is dragged into a car. His eyes are pleading me, begging me, to not say anything. Because this could be the end, and if it was, we were going down in silence._

...Frank.

My heart does a backflip and I feel like I'm falling. The last thing I can remember about him is seeing that hearbreaking pleading look as he strugged in their iron grips. He was the last thing I thought about before I was out, and the first thing I thought about when I woke up.

I knead the bleach white sheets with my palms, taking deep breaths.

_Our deadly secrets would be taken to the grave._

And they would. I snap my crimson eyes open to glare at the grey wall. I wouldn't say a word, no matter what. They would kill me off no matter what I said.

So I was going to stay silent, and that was final. Frank would be proud.

Oh, god, Frank…

A whiny plead escapes my lips. "Where did they go…?" I cry out quietly. I hear a voice across the room.

"Hey, I take it you're new?" I look up to see the shining face of a girl no older than 17 staring down at me with her large blue eyes, rimmed with a gold liner, adding a sparkly tinge against her olive complexion.

She peers in through the bars in front of me, hands gripping them tightly.

"No worries. I'm your roommate, I guess. We're all up and about today, though. Why haven't you joined us yet?" She asks me, flipping her dark brown hair across a white clad shoulder.

I look down, and you guessed it, I had been changed into BL/I attire. A single hair elastic and glass of water is resting to my left.

"I-I don't know. I just woke up." I see a heart shattering look of empathy on his face.

I was sick of it. "I don't need your sympathy." I bark at her, and she looks startled.

"I didn't mean to sound rude…" I apologize after an awkward moment of silence. She shrugs it off. "It's fine. Don't worry. I don't think you'll be allowed out, since it's your first say then, I'll see if I can be let back in early. I want to brief you up." She smiles warmly and walks away in one direction.

True to her words, minutes later she is being dragged back by a rather rude employee. He throws her in, and she stumbles a bit, but regains her step and sits down a few feet from me.

She gives me a beautiful smile and waves. "Hey. They call me Vintage Heartbreak around here…" The pretty girl leans in and looks around cautiously.

"…But friends call me Clara." Clara winks at me. I smile back at her.

"I'm… Sparx Fire". I mean, Ivory. I came in here with 4 young men, have you seen any of them?" I ask her. She seems to shrug it off.

"Nah." She thunks her head against the concrete wall and looks out of the cell bars. "I would know if there were, the place usually thrives over newbies."

She notices me tensing up.

"Like, in a good way. We aren't vicious to other killjoys, like in prison." Clara giggles, and it sounds like a chime. Her perfection hurts. "I mean, it's prison, but…"

"Oh, you know."

I nod.

"Anyways." She snaps on a serious face and hugs her knees. "So, every other day, or every third day, we get out. They let us into the "mess hall", pretty much, let us roam and do whatever. There's a gym with some cheap equipment to the right of that room." Clara tells me, and I nod every once in a while. I suggest you make good use of the time you get out, because it's a huge relief the what we get in here."

I hang my head down, fighting tears. I miss the boys.

"Cheer up…" She sighs, coming to sit next to me. I peek out from my arms to see her smiling comfortingly. "…It'll be okay. It always is."

I nod for the last time, before shutting my eyes and falling asleep like that.

The hours pass with my head in my knees, and she shifts, paces, walks around the room out of boredom. Every once in a while, I hear her mutter something that sounds like Spanish, but it could just be my ears playing tricks on me.

Eventually, I hear an employee screaming, _Lights out! _And the light fades to nothingness.

I wish I could say something exciting happened then, like some sort of brilliant mental breakthrough, or even spontaneous combustion of the prison cell, but no.

I just faded into the sheets, shivering, cold and alone.

_My life is over._ I think to myself, and a cold rush of emptiness rushes over me. _I have nothing to live for, in this cell._

_Will I ever be free of this planetary hell?_

The next day, Around noon or so, from what she guesses, we here the unlocking of the cell door. In steps two masked goons, which gesture to me. Clara looks at me worriedly, and I walk over to them. I'm shaking in fear. Was this where they executed me? But under what charge, exactly? Trying to save the world?

They link arms with mine, and walk me down many long corridors, like buddies. I eventually lose track of how far we are from the cell, and decide I might as well have fun with my state of insanity.

"Heart was teaching me how to choke down all the shit you guys call food without puking it up." I say proudly, trying to start conversation. One of them stiffens in anger.

I swear I could have heard, _"I make that food…" _

I snigger. "Oh. Then, please trade in your apron for something more fitting, like a more styling costume. The one you're decked out in now is boring, do you know that?"

They both keep silent, trying to ignore my chatter.

_Trying. _ They shift uncomfortably with every word that passes through my mouth.

On the subject of their wardrobe, I really do wish I had rainbow spit right now. Because they really did need some cheering up, those outfits.

But alas, My spit is just your average spit color. I notice this when I spit in ones face.

"You suck." I laugh, as they shove me against a cold metal door. I have no choice but to walk in as it opens by itself.

"Eerie…" I comment to no one in particular as it slams behind me. The room is dimly lit, and some random employee(who did come out of nowhere,) yanks me over to a chair.

Momentarily, _Korse, _walks over to me and sits down.

"Spark Flame, how nice of you to join us today." He sneers.

I scowl back and try to run away, but find myself held prisoner by a wrist restraint. "It's _Sparx Fire, _curly." I growl at him, before yanking at my wrists again.

"Where are the rest of your friends?" He asks me. He's grinning nauseatingly.

"You know where they are," I bark at him, lunging forward before, once again, being reminded of my bondage chair(How kinky.). "You locked them up, didn't you? Where are they! I need…" I grunt, struggling more. My wrists begin to go raw. "…To see them…"

"Honestly, the only thing you need to see right now is yourself. Struggling in that won't do shit. It'll only hurt you in the end." He smiles coldly.

"That chair… Is like our relationship, myself and the dirty killjoys.

"See, every time you _fools _put up a fight, take down patrols, try to be brave and silent, you only make it worse for yourself. You do eventually wear yourself down, and you are taken in. You die more of a terrible death then you would have had if you just waved a simple little white flag in the beginning."

Korse stretches out his hand and strokes my cheek creepily.

"So how about it, _Ivory_?" he sneers.

"How do you know my name!" I screech back at him, rocking the chair with my violent moves. He seems startled, flinching at my outburst.

But his shock fades and a sheer annoying look of domination crosses onto his ugly face.

"Not such fabulous friends, now are they?"

Lies. My vision taints red and I spit at him.

The bald man growls and wipes down his cheek. His eyes flare up in anger and he raises his voice.

"See what I mean, girl?" He yells at me. He does something with his hand.

All of a sudden, I feel this insane amount of head shattering pain, I scream out, and look up through the tears I manage to blink back eventually. He tucks back a pure white ray gun.

I lower my head enough so that I can touch my cheek. When I look down at my fingers, they are tainted red. My vision shakes and I feel something pulling on my head.

A draculoid pulls me up by my long blue hair, so I am forced to look at Korse again.

"What do you want from me!" I scream. I wince as he raises a hand as if to slap the shit out of me.

"You _know _what I want…" He growls.

And this is where I shut up. A mute. Silent.

For the next hour or so, I am hit, insulted, and abused in every way possible.

I don't say a word.

Because each time I was slapped, punched, pulled at, I thought of Frank.

I thought of my chubby cheeked hero, with his ebony hair and gorgeous cheekbones. His bad posture, striking eyes, low and manly voice.

And then, bleeding and slumped over, I sigh.

Korse looks disgusted with me, and with one fluid motion, stands up and walks out another door from the one he entered in. I don't even notice when I'm unbuckled and dragged out. The corridors pass once more. But it all seems like a maze to me.

I finally realize a change in my surroundings when I feel myself being moved from the cold concrete floor to the bumpy cot.

"Clara?" I whisper blindly, out into the tense air.

She brushes some hair out of my face, and lifts my head up a bit. I feel some water trickle down my throat, and a wet cloth on the spot where Korse had grazed my cheek with a beam.

I cry out quietly, and she shushes me.

"Don't worry, baby, s'gonna be okay." She whispers to me. Her accent tinges her rich voice and I find myself drifting off.

"Thanks, C. You're the best." I smile at her, and shut my eyes.

I didn't wake up for a long time.

**What do you guys think? Thanks to BLI for being the bestest inspiration and writers block ninja EVAH.**

**Y o u a l l p w n . :]**


	14. Chapter 13

**A/N I hate to jinx it, but I've been uploading a lot more, huh? :D**

**A/N2**

**Dude, I typed the above authors note a week and a half before I typed this one, that I am actually typing riighhtt nowwww. Anyways, yeah. That was a HEEUGE jinx. Because 3 hours after I said that, my laptop broke.**

**FML.**

Days passed, my cuts and bruises faded, along with my worry for the others.

I mean, of course, I wondered where they were, and if I would see them soon, but I know they were okay.

I just had a good feeling.

I had been there maybe a week month or so, before I asked a fellow killjoy with loose blonde waves and pale skin why I hadn't seen any of the killjoys I had come in with.

She turned to me and grinned. "Ah, Spark, don't worry about it. There's like, different wings, sectors, floors, yada yada yada." She sighed, waving a plastic spork around as she talked. "They split most people apart so you can't, you know, plan mass destruction while choking down egg salad together. It's pretty understandable."

I nod and poke at the gray mass on my plate. Personally, I wouldn't feed it to my dog, but whatever. Better than eating the cutlery itself.

…Or was it?

"Guys, do you think these are edible?" I ask, staring down the plastic spork.

"What?" Clara snorts, putting her own down. The others chuckle, and go back to their conversations. The room buzzes with it's usual glow.

Actually, now that I think about it, it was louder. People sounded like they were yelling- in a friendly way.

My dark haired friend picks up her tray and moves over to me, plopping down with a smile. "Hey you, what's with the long face?" She asks me, propping her chin in her hands.

I sigh, rubbing my eyes tiredly. "Heart, you know what it's like… To miss your friends, wonder if they're okay." I give her a fake pout as she ruffles my hair.

"I think they're fine, Ive." Clara reassures me.

I scrunch my nose in thought. "I've cried onto your shoulder, you know everything about me… But what's your story?"

She stiffens, and her jaw locks. She picks up her utensil and fiddles with it.

"That doesn't matter." I hear her say coldly and bitterly.

I flinch at her shutting me out, usually she was very welcoming.

"Sorry, uhm, I understand sometimes things are… uh, touchy."

She quickly changes the subject.

"Hey, Spark, the crowd. Maybe there's someone new." She asks me, pointing to the corner of the room, where people were swarming like vultures over a draculoid carcass.

I immediately stand up and my chair skids four feet or so. I run up to the people, all laughing, talking, and asking questions to the newcomer, who's face I had yet to see.

"Kid, what's your name?"

"Loving the tattoos, bro."

"Sit with us, will you?"

I rudely push past a few tall people until I can finally see the new guy.

I see the back of a white jumpsuit, and long almost black hair. But I knew him anywhere.

"_Fun Ghoul_!" I scream out, running towards the short man.

He whips around, and our eyes meet. I flash back to the day we had lost contact. A grin immediately spreads over his face and he rushes towards me. He picks me up and spins me round in circles, kissing me the whole way until we're out of breath.

"Oh, baby, I thought I wouldn't see you again!" He whispers to me in a pleading voice, kissing at my neck.

"Frank…" I whisper to him, yanking his face up to mine so I could look him in the eyes. "…Where are the others?"

He frowns and looks down, tightening his arms around my slender waist. "I haven't seen them since we got in. I'm lucky that I was moved into here." He must have noticed my questionable look, and he chuckles in response. "I got in a fight with a bunch of guys… Like, a lunch time gang war. So they had to move me somewhere else. Afraid of a future nuclear blowout, or something."

I smile and feel a warm feeling pool into my chest. Our eyes lock and we just stand there in each other's eyes for what seems like hours.

The crowd dispersed more as we talked again, catching up on everything we missed. Friends, interrogations, news, the whole lot.

Finally we walk hand in hand back to the table, where everyone stares.

"Woah, baby, do you make friends fast…" Blondie laughs at me. Clara gives me a look.

"Guys, this is Frank. He's my boyfriend from before I got taken in. I mean, we were split up, but they made a mistake, I guess, and put us back together." I smile, swinging his hand with mine.

Frank gives them all a cheery wave and sexy grin, and I swear half of the girls there had to fight away dirty thoughts.

Hey, my boyfriend was sexy. I liked it.

The group goes back to there melodious laughs and conversations as I point everyone out to Frank.

Eventually, when we notice we only had ten minutes or so until we had to go back to our rooms, I look up at Frank. Our eyes meet, and he smiles.

He strokes his soft hand down my cheek and leans in. his lips touch mine and I shiver.

"Did you miss me?" He mused quietly, giving me a loving look.

I fight back a tear of happiness and nod. "More than you will ever know, Frankenstein." At the old nickname, he collides his forehead with mine.

"You know, baby, there's a janitors closet with our names in it…" Frank winks, nodding over to the left side of the room. I snigger at his offer.

I push him playfully. "Horny freak. We aren't spending our last five minutes together sucking face in a dark closet."

I hear someone stand up and stomp away, and look up to see Clara's back walking towards the exit. A guard escorts her out of the room.

"What was her problem?" Blondie asks me, leaning over the table. I shrug. "I could ask you the same thing."

"She-" The sound of Frank's voice was cut off by a loud bell. I sigh and he pulls me in for one last hug.

"Next time we get out, you and I, lets do something together. Just you and me." He kisses my forehead and is whisked away to his room by a pesky guard.

I sigh once again, and another arm is wrapped around my shoulder. I look over to see my little blonde friend pulling me towards the exit. She rattles on about how I'd see him again soon, and no use going all Juliet and committing suicide over a 47 hour separation.

I cut her off. "Hey, uhm, in all of the month I've known you, I never got your name." I tell her, and she laughs.

"I go by a lot of different names, but I guess the one you're looking for is Radiation Rascal." She shrugs.

"Uh, thanks, Rascal." I grin, getting used to the name. "That's a cool name. You make it yourself?"

Another shrug. "I think so. I can't remember, it was like, a bajillion years ago." Rascal cackles.

I roll my eyes. "Well, I'll see you later. I'll get the lethal injection if I do not return to thy cage. See you… Uh, two breaks from now."

"Sounds like you're getting lucky with Romeo, eh? Where, the closet? Airduct?"

"Shut the fuck up, dumb shit. Someone will hear you." I laugh quietly, clamping a hand over her mouth.

She bites, I shove her, and we're both pulled away by fed up draculoids.

I'm shoved back into my cell, and to my surprise, Clara isn't here. I look under the cots.

Nope, no Spanish beauty under there.

Shrugging it off, I throw myself onto my bed and wander off into dream land.

I tug at the thin sheets, tossing and turning like no tomorrow.

Time passes, it could have been minutes, hours- I wouldn't know.

Finally, the creaking of the cell door floods into my eardrums and I sit up in a panic, reaching for where my holster _would _have been.

Hmmph.

"Clara, where were you?" I gasp, stumbling up. Her hair is messed up, and she doesn't meet my gaze.

"Meeting with, uh, Kor- uh, the exterminator." She mumbles and settles down in her cot.

"You're going to bed?"

"Yeah, I'm tired."

"What time is it?"

"Around 9ish. Go to bed."

"But I've been napping all day."

"Listen, Sparx," She snaps, whirling around to glare at me. "I don't care _what _the fuck you do, just leave me alone!"

Her cold command rings out through the cell, and I'm left there standing in shock.

I finally sit down and stare out through the bars.

Maybe about ten minutes pass, and I pace up to the bars and stick what I can of my head through.

"FUN GHOUL!" I scream out, grasping the bars. I hear draculoids jogging over to shut me up.

I hear a reply, although very quiet, in the distance. "SPARK?"

I laugh and smile to myself. All my worries, insecurities, and foggy feelings fade away at what he yells next.

"I LOVE YOU!"

I grip the bars and gasp.

"I… I LOVE YOU TOO!" I respond, mentally jumping up and down.

I hear the draculoids approaching where I am and dash into my cot, and fake a deep sleep.

They walk past the cell, trying to find a culprit for the noise.

That night, I slept deeply. I dreamed of Frank and I, in our own perfect world.

One with color, music, emotion… And love.

But could we make that dream come true?

…..

**Grace POV**

Breaks were the only things that I felt thankful for, in this cold prison-esque world we called the Headquarters.

During breaks, I sat with Minute Missile and Vocal Vendetta and some other randoms I hadn't put names to.

"Missile," I ask him, pushing around the sludge on my tray. "What's your story?"

He smiles and me and ruffles my hair, like Jet would do.

"I've told you before," He chuckles, and I catch a lonely hint in there.

I smile and lean over to ruffle his back. "I want to hear it again!"

Maggie butts in. "Ah, Chris, baby, tell her, will ya?" She grins with that thick accent of hers. "If you don't, I'll tell her about the noodle incide-"

"Blackmailisnotcool!" He cries out at motor-boat speed. Whatever the "noodle incident" was, it must have been suckish.

"Finee." Chris throws his tattooed arms up in defeat and begins his story;

"Once upon a time, there was, well, me. I had survived the blasts because I was really far from the first attack, and by the time the second one came to where I was, I was already in the ruins of the first. I had one friend, and eventually we picked up more and more new guys, until we had a big group of pals.

We fought, we lived, we loved. Not a day was taken for granted.

But then…"

He pauses, withdrawing a painful breath.

"There was a beautiful woman. She had this smooth, pale skin and these stunning eyes.

We had met as she wandered blindly into our territory. We took her in.

Within weeks, we were closer then anyone else could have been. I had told her my secrets, she told me hers. Ah, inseparable- that's the word. Yeah.

When I told her I had liked her, I swear there were fireworks along my vertebrae as we kissed. She's the most amazing girl. Ever.

For maybe a month after that, we became one. I knew that she was the one I would spend the rest of my life with, no matter how short it may be.

But then one day I was sent out to fight a major drac wave. She begged me, she pleaded me, she cried and cried as I walked to the car. I never looked back, I mean, how could I? I would have just ended up running right back.

I never thought I'd end up being captured and taken in here. No, I wish I had died that day…

I haven't seen her since. She must think I'm dead."

He doesn't speak for a minute or so, just stares at the wall.

Frankly, me and V are shocked. He usually refused to talk about the girl he had loved in the past- and still loved, to this day.

Finally, he opens his mouth again. "You know what? Sometimes I-I… See her. Like I swear she's walking through these very halls. I'm going crazy." He chuckles the last line weakly, shaking his head.

"Chris…" I place a hand on his arm. He looks up, sorrow drowning his beautiful brown eyes. "What was she like?"

"She was sarcastic. Funny. _Gorgeous. _She had this long bright blue hair, and this deep crimson eyes. She was so pale, and against the bright colors she wore, looked like a freaking ghost."

I gasp.

Blue hair?

Red eyes?

Could this be any more trippy...?

"Her name… She went by-"

"-Sparx Fire." I interrupt. All color fades from his face as he stares at me in pure shock.

"H-How… How did you know?" He gasps. He looks as if he'd seen a ghost.

I sigh, and run a small hand through my hair.

"Boy, have we got a lot to talk about…"

**Whaddya thank? I got a monitor hooked up to my screen, so it'll be harder then usual to update as to lack of, uh, portability? Or something. So yar, better then (BUTTER) nothing.**

**:] .Ri**


	15. Chapter 14

**A/N wow. It's been so effing long. Well, sorry and stuff. :/**

**Hold on, I need to rant about the ERA in between chapters Orielle style.**

**HOLY SHITTTT IT'S BEEN SO LOOONNNG I'M SOOO SORRRRYY. I LOVE YOU BAMFS FOR NOT HATING ME. THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOOOUUU**

**kkonwithdastory.**

I pace. I pace because I'm anxious. I'm anxious because it is 11:56 exactly- _wait, no, now it's 11:57- _and in exactly 2.5 minutes goons will come around to unlock our doors.

Ah, it's break. Break, break, break… The word is melodious in my ears.

"Break time…" I muse quietly to myself, rubbing my hands together. Clara peeps over her pillow to give me a curious look.

"Ivory, darling," She sighs to me, flipping some hair out of her icy sight. "Are these walls getting to you? Because you've talking to yourself for the past half hour," She grimaces and walks over to me.

"I'm not crazy," I protest, but she places a hand to my pale head. The smile refuses to fade from my face as she clucks her tongue and smiles at me. "I'm excited. It's break in a minute. I can see Frankie."

She just cackles. "Oh, a lovestruck fool you play, bound by thy beating heart."

"You're the second person to go all Shakespeare on my apparent 'forbidden' romance."

"Oh?"

"Radiation Rascal."

"She's true to her name, what can I say. A real rascal." A grin plays on her lips, and I open my mouth to respond wittily, but I'm interrupted by a loud buzzing noise.

And then cheers are emitted through the floor, smiles flitting through the air freshly.

Break time.

Slowly, jumpsuit clad killjoys begin to fill the blank halls, until the keyman comes over to let us out.

Butterflies, butterflies. I have to fight to keep from squealing as a Faceless goon fumbles with the lock.

And then the bars slide open, and they move on. And standing right where the guard had been a second ago, stands my hope, my faith, my love.

"Frankie!" I squeal, rushing into his arms. He kisses the top of my head affectionately.

"C'mon," He whispers into my ear, the usual mischievous glint in his eyes shining radiantly. "I have things to tell you."

…

Minutes later, we're jogging through the maze of white walls, hand in hand.

Left, right, left, straight, left, left, left…

Like a said, this place is a labyrinth.

"Hate to kill your I've-got-a-killer-plan buzz, but, how are we getting back?" I ask him worriedly. If we weren't there by the time break was over, and they found us, they would want to know why we were so far from everyone else, why we were taking such precautions to be alone, why…

Luckily, Frank breaks off my paranoia. "Don't worry about it, I got this down. We'll be back in time." And then stops, dead in the middle of the hall.

I smack into his back, not stopping in time. "What the fuck, Frankie, little warning please?" I growl, but he lets go of my hand and ignores me.

When I simmer down a bit and take a look around, I notice our surroundings. The uniform white halls were to be expected, but in front of us lies a door with chipping paint and broken handle.

"No one comes down here often," He grins cheekily, jiggling with the handle until it breaks off with a _snap_. "I remember this area clearly from the diagram we stole… it's an entire ghost wing. To the other side of the floor, that's where all the important things are. This wing's pretty much deserted, so I thought…" He turns around to wink, and opens the door for me. Rather gentlemanly. "Great place for a little chat, eh?"

And as I step in, and he shuts the door and pulls the string for the dingy lightbulb, I grin.

"It's so cute," I whisper with a genuine smile.

Inside the 6X5 foot room, lie the usual mop, broom and the like, but in the middle is a large, but thin, dusty blanket, and on that a single lit candle. I stumble in, taking a seat on the throw, and turn to my boyfriend.

"Frank, why are we so far from everyone else?" I ask him curiously. He waves it off easily, smiling like a child who just unwrapped his Christmas presents. "It's really the best place I thought we could be without cameras. Distance wasn't really a factor." He fondles the frayed edge of the blanket absentmindedly.

"Besides," He looks up. "If they stumble upon us… We're just some horny couple in a closet."

He notices my disapproving look, and laughs.

"Or, or, at least to their knowledge! Don't hit me!"

And with a cackle, he takes my hand.

"Ivory, we need to get out of here." And then his face is serious, grim, even. "I've been thinking. Ever since we got here. And, I guess I have a plan. Ish. But I think we're going to have to get more of us… I mean, Like, your friends. Would they maybe, want to help us out or something?"

"It depends." I frown. "I know they would love to, no matter what, but I'm not going to suck them into a _death mission_, if that's what you're going to make of it, Frank. I know they would die trying, and that's what makes me shiver." I shake my head, cold tingles running up my spine.

It's silent for an unbearable minute.

I sigh. "So, what's that plan of yours, then?"

He nods and begins.

"Well, um, what I'm thinking is somewhere along the lines of this; First, we have to sneak into the drac kitchen. I don't know when, but when we do, we have to take all of the cutlery."

I stifle a laugh. That hardly sounded like an escape plan…

"Don't laugh. I'm not done." He rolls his eyes. "Okay, so after we take those plastic ones, they still have to feed us, right? So What they do, is replace it all with rare, more sturdy silverware, until they can bring some more in. But knowing them, what they'll do is account for every single piece of pointed metal, meaning they won't let us out of the room during break unless everything is checked off, meaning no one can sneak off and stab someone with a butter knife.

So we find away in again, this time it'll be harder, they'll probably keep watch, so we gotta play real-life super spies, okay?"

I nod. "Wait, the first time we sneak in, why don't we just take what we need? Why wait?"

He answers quickly. "I've already thought of that. But all of the knives are locked up, and even so, we need thin forks. Which are most likely in storage. So we need to grab a bunch of those, hand them out to those in on the plan. They need to conceal them, obviously.

At night, we're going to have to bend those forks, make them work the way we want them to work, and use them to pick the locks!" By now his grim look has faded, and his eyes gleam adventurously. "Then we need to sneak out and use something I borrowed from Agent Cherri Cola shortly before we were abducted."

He frowns again, and takes out a small red perfume bottle. It's shaped like a heart, but it's all scratched up, and the paint is peeling off depressingly.

He smiles and secured the lid. "This baby is amazing. It's… It could be classified as a drug, I guess. It's like LSD in a can. Spray once, near the face, I guess, and for a while I guess you are less aware of your surroundings, more of things no one else can see. IN other words, a hallucinating concoction." He smiles proudly, as if it was his own invention.

"Spray this motherfucker, slowly grab the gun, and run for it. They'll be too caught up staring at the pretty colors to notice you, no matter what, and in the morning- after they pass out cold- they don't remember anything. _Anything._" He shuffles it back into a spare pocket, and smiles.

I grin back and shake my head in amazement. "That's crazy, Frankie. Amazing."

"I know." He nods modestly with a giggle. "So, anyway, do that, head back, and once we've all done it- we have to take our time, though, It will be suspicious if it's all at once,- we run for it. And, I hate to say it, but not all of us will make it out alive. I'll do all I can to prevent anyone being left behind, but it's more likely… Than not…"

There's something stuck in my throat. I feel like I can't breathe. It was a suicide mission.

"What about Gerard? Gracie? Ray…?" I list, beginning to set into a nervous panic. He bites a pink lip and nods for the bajillionth time.

"I'll sneak out every once in a while, try and find them. You can help, if you want. Find them, explain it all, y'know…"

"Get them in on the plan, so they can die, too." I whisper. I know I'm being mean, and really, we'd die if we stayed in here anyway, but I can't help but let it out.

The words form a bubble in the air, simmering the air into a toxic burn, setting my bones on fire, making me want to unzip my skin so I can dance with all of the other tortured, confused souls up on the ceiling. My mouth drapes open, and he blinks in pain.

"You know we have to, Spark." He whispers back, rubbing my hand. I nod and shut my eyes for a while.

After a long minute, I snap open my burgundy eyes and take in his clearly suffering expression. He'd thought long and hard about it, and told me, knowing I would think the worst.

But it was necessary, wasn't it?

"I'll do it."

I stand up, shuffle out the door, ignoring the pins and needles of my previously criss crossed legs. He calls out to me in surprise.

"Where are you going?" He asks, stumbling behind me, reaching for my cold palm.

I turn around and give him a half smile. "I want to go tell the others. So we can get this damn thing over with."

He grins widely and kisses my cheek eagerly. "Oh, baby, I knew you'd take it."

And letting back in my naturally humorous personality, I say something that I know he would understand, that would mean that all was forgiven, and I was OK now.

"Frankie, darling, _that's what she said."_

"I know, I know, I _know_ we're crazy for asking this of you…" I push around the gray potatoes on my plate, not wanting to look any of my friends in the eyes.

"But we know that we'll never see freedom, or daylight, again if we don't give this a shot." Frank finishes for me.

Silence takes our table by the hand, until Radiation Rascal pipes up.

"Hell yeah, I'll do it!" She howls, and I look up to see an amused grin plastered on her face. "Finally, someone with guts!"

I smile back at her and throw my arms around her awkwardly from my position across the table. "Oh, Rascal, I _knew _you'd agree! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

We- being the inseparable duo, Frank, and I, had explained to the group the dangerous plan Frank had come with. Some shifted nervously when we began, but as soon as the unfathomable idea of freedom sank in, they were all bouncing off of the walls.

So far, 5/6 of us had agreed. Rascal and the other loved the idea of adventure, didn't even think twice about the risks. While one, sitting opposite me, pondered it slowly.

"Clara," I whisper to her, patting her hand. She broke of her thoughtful and troubled gaze to meet mine painfully. "You don't have to. Go, I mean."

She shakes her head slowly. "Oh, _amigo,_ I'll have to think about it." She whispered back to me, closing her eyes and sinking into silence for the rest of the period.

As I leaned in to hug Frank happily, a minute later, a loud noise startled me.

Sighs emitted across the room and the bell signaled the end of the break, and soon the Draculoids swept in the escort us back safely.

And as I was dragged away, Frank called out across the room, his gorgeous hazel eyes shining.

"Baby, next time, let's _start_ this bad ass mother fucker."


	16. Chapter 15

**How long has it been? **

**Forever?**

**I am sooo sorry. I want to get this shit up and running again but I don't have a computer… argh.**

**My apologies, losers.**

I lie in bed, thinking about the events of the last little while.

It's been crazy, to say the least. We got around 15 forks stashed in different cells, with different teammates in on the whole shenanigan. We jacked about 6 guns from different Dracs, which are hidden, once again, with several different people.

Getting them all was casual, almost easy. But tonight would be hard as fuck.

"_Lights out!"_

I am submerged in darkness as the overhead lights are killed. As soon as the last footsteps are out of range, Clara sits up and picks up her blaster, and two forks rooted _inside_ her old mattress. "Are you ready?" She grins at me, and in the faint light of a malfunctioning bulb a few feet away I see a gleam of something- what is it? Energy? Excitement?

No. It's adrenaline.

I hop up and grab similar tools and before you know it we're in the halls.

I know what you're thinking. _"Ivory, you fool!" _You're frowning as you read my story, virtual index finger stabbing my virtual chest accusingly. _"There are cameras! You're dead!"_

…But are they? A certain somebody, thank you, Clara, shared with us the beautiful fact that is the lack of film on the old cameras.

"_Are you kidding me?" She chokes on her disgusting 'meal'. "They ran out of film a bajillion years ago." She smiles, a faint accent tingeing her angelic voice. "They're mostly there for show. Believe me."_

I remember her words, and adding two and two together I realized she was right. We went on with our plan nicely.

Towards the end of the hall, into the stairwell, we run into none other than Frankie. He sweeps me up into a quick kiss, and then we're on our way.

So far? We've cleared the prison floors 1 through 7, us being on 4. We knew that tonight would be a successful as fuck night- we know there are 10 floors, which means there are 3 left. The guys- and Gracie, will be somewhere on these floors.

We clear the stairs in five minutes, no problem. Then we are faced with the doors. There will be guards here, as this floor is more high risk. A card reader is tacked onto the ivory door. Frank fries it with something and passes easily onto the floor. He takes my hand and silently we all begin to sort through the cells.

Many are asleep, or faking it, but when we begin to call names most of them look up. Nobody familiar- I sigh.

"Maybe they're not here… at all." I moan to them. Frank shakes his head. "Somewhere… We're close, I can feel it."

Clara nods and squeezes my hand in support. We are nearly at the end when Frank stops and peers through the bars.

"No…"

"FRANK!" I hear a strained, but loud, whisper, and shuffling as one giant-ass fro comes to greet us at the bars.

"Ray! Ray!" I whisper excitedly, gripping his hands. "Oh my god!"

"How did you get out?" he asks, his eyes darting all of us while the stupidest grin breaks out on his face, as if he can't believe this is actually happening.

"We snuck out," Frank shakes his head and chuckles. We're getting out of here. You have no choice in this shit so suck it up, alright?" He jokes. Ray just shakes his head.

"As if I would be against that, brah."

Frank hands him a package, which, to my knowledge contains a weapon, two forks and a note explaining everything. Ray nods, and takes it, taking a moment to burrow it under his bed. I mentally note his lack of roommate.

"Have you seen anybody else?" I ask him, a pleading look hiding in my eyes. He grins again. "You bet- Cherri-baby and Mikey." Pause. "Dunno why they put us together, but here we are. I can pass on the message at tomorrow's break."

Frank nods. "Alrighty. We need as many people in on this as possible- tell whomever you trust, but leave it at that. Better safe than sorry, okay? I'll drop by tomorrow night- I need you to report to me on what materials you might need to break out on nights to help us find the others, forks, guns, you know what I mean." He pauses, and grins so big his face is just taken over by the beauty of his smile. "Oh man, it's great to see you."

"You should go," Ray frowns. "It's dangerous. But I'll see you… later. Don't come if you're not positive you'll be safe." I watch as the two old friends bump fists. "Take care, my brother."

And then we're off.

…..

"Can you fucking believe it!" I almost shriek when I share the news with the rest of the table. A nearby goon eyes us but I flip him the bird and tell him where to shove it. He leaves it alone- I recognize that limp- He's tangoed with me before and knows it's never worth it in the end.

Radiation Rascal grins and shakes her head. "No way… I'm still in shock! So Frank got them the dope?" I roll my eyes at her reference.

My boyfriend, the dealer.

"Yeah. The other night. They're planning on doing another sort of 'raid' I think… tomorrow?" We lower our voices at this. "They're checking out the 9th floor. I'm sure there will be somebody there." A smile creeps into my face and speech and eventually I'm squealing to myself. "Everything is so great! We'll be out in no time!"

…..

**Gracie POV**

It's night-time, and the lights are out when I hear my name being called. I curiously look up, expecting to see VV or Chris but instead see one of the coolest guys ever. Oh, and Frank.

Jokes.

Oh my jesus.

I clamp my hands over my mouth to prevent a scream of pure excitement and rush to the bars. "Oh my god, oh my god, you're alive! You're here! You came for me! You're…" My eyes dart to their costumes. "…Captive."

Ray grins. "No worries Glow, Frankie here has found us a way out!" Frank nods and hands me a package.

"This will explain everything…" He tells me, kissing my forehead through the bars. "Everything is going to be OK. I'm so glad you're safe."

_Safe._

A frown creases my face. "What about the others?" I ask.

"We've found everybody… _But _Gee. But chances are, unless we've missed him he's the floor above you."

"Oh, well that's-"

_"She was sarcastic. Funny.__Gorgeous.__She had this long bright blue hair, and this deep crimson eyes. She was so pale, and against the bright colors she wore, looked like a freaking ghost."_

_"Her name… She went by-"_

_"-Sparx Fire." I interrupt. All color fades from his face as he stares at me in pure shock._

_"H-How… How did you know?" He gasps. He looks as if he'd seen a ghost._

_I sigh, and run a small hand through my hair._

_"Boy, have we got a lot to talk about…"_

"S-Sparx Fire…" I whisper.

"Yeah, she's 'kay. Don't worry, she was actually talk-"

I don't hear him finish as I rush into my own thoughts. Next door to me was the love of her life, and I don't know what to say about that. What would he say if he found her alive again? In this very building?

He would cry.

"Frank…"

He stops mid rant and looks at me, obviously seeing the worry, questioning it with those soulful hazel eyes.

"Chris."

He laughs, pointing to himself. "No, Frank."

I shake my head. "Ivory will be wrecked…" I murmur to myself. At the mention of his lover's name he perks up.

"What? What?" He asks, nervously now. "What's wrong?"

I look up at him at a loss for words. Finally they break my chapped lips.

"Have you ever hear a killjoy's rendition of a love story?"

"I don't think so… Why?"

"Listen up, Ghoul. This is going to flip your positivity for a while."

**xxxx**

**SOOO I understand it's not the greatest, not the longest, not the most thoughtful, but I really tried. It took me an hour of straight typing.**

**I'm going to start uploading regularly from now on! Well, at least I'll try.**

**Please review. It IS what brought me back from the dead, you know. Wouldn't want me to sink back into a MSWord coma, now, would you? ;)**

**~Your long awaited Ri.**


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